(By Delegates Young and Walker)

February 7, 2023

Referred to the Committee on Education and then the Committee on Rules

Requesting the establishment of the Appalachian Dialect Act. The Act would require the addition of this dialect to the Departmental, Statistical, and General Information section of the state Blue Book between pages 1050 and 1051.

Whereas, the State of West Virginia, and more broadly throughout Appalachia, our ways of speaking serve to define who we are and unite us as a group. Currently, within modern America, our style of speech has come under attack by the perpetuation of myths stating that our speech is improper and uncultured. If we do not defend this, we will we lose a vital part of our history, our culture, and our way of life.

Whereas, The defense of our Appalachian dialect can be accomplished simply by implementing a section into our Blue Book that would recognize our dialect. This section would give our dialect the same respect that others are given throughout the nation; and

Whereas, Our state also prizes freedom and democracy. This is exemplified in our state motto "Montani Semper Liberi", which means "Mountaineers are always free". To preserve this democracy, we must ensure that those running for office are informed of the languages that their constituents speak. This solution is feasible and already an important feature of other state blue books like those of Tennessee or Arizona. A major difference is that West Virginia has far closer election margins than these states. This means that knowing whether to distribute campaign materials in other languages could be the difference between a candidate winning or losing a seat. The house elections for 2020 were decided on margins of 3,000 votes, with some being decided by even fewer. Within our state alone there are over 7,500 individuals who do not speak English proficiently within our state. Knowing these figures could impact elections. If we are to preserve our history and culture, we must grant the proper recognition that our Appalachian Dialects deserve which they have for so long been denied. This inclusion will help to preserve our democracy by ensuring that our elected officials are informed of their constituent’s ways of speaking. This bill is a simple and inexpensive solution for two very large problems that are currently affecting our state. A vote for this would be a vote for the future of our state’s language and our state’s democracy; and

Whereas, Definitions will be used to ensure accurate application of this Act. "Dialect" means a variate of a language that is distinct from other varieties in grammar, vocabulary, and accent, including examples like Southern American English or Northern American English. "Accent" means a feature of a dialect that may vary from one geographical location to another. "Language" is defined as a compilation of words that must have at least 500 speakers as corroborated by the Migration Policy Institute or other reputable institutions. This definition of language is exclusive to this Act and should not be utilized as a legal precedent in the future, nor as a redefinition of the word "language"; and

Whereas, To be a recognized dialect in West Virginia, the dialect must have at least 100 speakers, be a language that is recognized by the government, and have at least three words that are indigenous to that region. Further, a dialect must have individually used words unique to that dialect to be considered a distinct dialect, including examples of unique words like "holler" in Appalachian; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Appalachian Dialect Act be established by the West Virginia Legislature; and , be it

Further Resolved, That the Appalachian Dialect be added to the West Virginia Blue Book within the Departmental, Statistical, and General Information section of the state Blue Book between pages 1050 and 1051. This addition will ensure that the loftiest ideals of democracy may be adhered to with each individual lawmaker having access to the languages spoken by their constituents; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House forward a certified copy of this resolution to the Senate Clerk's Office as the producer of the West Virginia Blue Book.