By JOSH FUNK
Funding Withheld Over Language Enforcement
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on Wednesday that California will lose $40 million in federal funding due to its failure to enforce English language requirements for truck drivers. This decision comes in the wake of an investigation prompted by a fatal crash in Florida involving a foreign truck driver who made an illegal U-turn on August 12.
Investigation Findings
The investigation revealed major shortcomings in California’s enforcement of newly implemented regulations that arose from an executive order by President Donald Trump in June. Notably, California had granted the driver involved in the crash a commercial license, despite these English proficiency rules being in place prior to the incident.
Safety Concerns and Political Fallout
Duffy emphasized that truck drivers should be disqualified if they are unable to demonstrate proficiency in English. He pointed out that the driver responsible for the crash should not have been licensed due to his immigration status. The situation has escalated politically, with California and Florida governors exchanging criticism, while Duffy has spotlighted the administration’s immigration issues in related interviews.
California’s Defense
In a formal response to the Transportation Department, California defended its procedures, but federal officials were not satisfied with the state’s explanations. Following Duffy’s announcement, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office quickly countered by stating that commercial truck drivers in California have a lower accident rate compared to the national average.
Inspection Results and Conditions for Funding
Duffy noted that since the new language standards were implemented, California had conducted approximately 34,000 inspections that uncovered at least one violation; however, only one involved an English language issue that resulted in a driver being taken out of service. To regain the withheld funding, California must enforce the English proficiency regulations and ensure that state inspectors are adequately testing drivers on their language skills during roadside inspections.
Additional Funding Threats
Furthermore, Duffy has warned that he may also retract another $160 million from California due to concerns over how the state issues commercial driver’s licenses, having recently tightened the eligibility criteria.
The Fatal Crash
The crash, which resulted in three fatalities when truck driver Harjinder Singh made an illegal U-turn, is under intense scrutiny. Singh is currently charged with three counts of vehicular homicide along with immigration violations. Despite claims that he entered the U.S. illegally, California officials maintained that he possessed a valid work permit at the time of the crash, and evidence from a previous traffic stop indicated that he could communicate effectively in English.
