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November 29, 2007

Carcieri calls ACLU assertions about interpreters false

Governor Carcieri today called "irresponsible" the Rhode Island ACLU's questioning whether cutting four Department of Human Services language interpreters will violate a consent agreement and raise the specter of federal legal action against the department.

In a news release, Carcieri's office described the ACLU's assertions as false charges and said the human services is fully complying with applicable state and federal laws and the 1997 consent agreement "requring that the state make available language interpretation services for those seeking welfare and other benefits."

“Governor Carcieri is confident that the Department of Human Services will continue to provide access to the appropriate language interpretation services, as required by federal law and by the 1997 consent agreement,” Jeff Neal, Carcieri's spokesman, said in the statement. “This issue was examined in depth as the state prepared its plans to reduce the size of the state workforce. The state was convinced that we could reduce the number of language interpreters -- especially those translating less commonly encountered languages -- while continuing to provide the appropriate translation options through existing contracts with outside language interpretation services.”

The Rhode Island Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union is questioning whether Carcieri’s cut of 4 out of 17 DHS staff interpreters will violate the consent agreement.

The Journal reported today that it has made requests since last month to interview the governor about the interpreters and that Neal said yesterday the governor plans to announce new initiatives in the area and would not do an interview with the Journal until then.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 12:11 PM | Permalink

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ml | November 29, 2007 1:48 PM link

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