Starting next year, for the first time, the largest governments in Imperial County will be required to translate key public documents into Spanish.
Under a new law signed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday, certain counties, cities and special districts across the state with large communities that speak languages other than English will be required to publish translated versions of their public meeting agendas.
The law will apply to Imperial County’s government, the influential Imperial Irrigation District (IID) and the cities of El Centro and Calexico.
Agendas are bedrock documents that describe the actions that elected officials consider and the policies they may vote on.
The law, SB 707, was authored by Sen. María Elena Durazo, a Democrat from Los Angeles. It’s mostly focused on making it easier to tune in to local government meetings online, but it also includes a set of requirements meant to improve access for people who aren’t fluent in English.
Those requirements could have a major impact in Imperial County, where the lack of consistent Spanish translation has previously excluded many residents from the democratic process.
Almost three-in-four Imperial County residents speak mostly Spanish at home, and more than a quarter don’t speak English fluently, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But the county government and IID only publish their agendas and most other key public documents in English.
Advocates for stronger language access are celebrating Newsom’s decision. Fernanda Vega, an organizer with the Imperial Valley Equity and Justice Coalition, said the new law would allow more people to understand the decisions their elected officials were making.
“I would say that's power,” Vega said. “Not only the power to be involved, but also to demand for more.”
IID spokesperson Robert Schettler said the water and energy agency was planning to comply with the law.
“(We) will ensure that we meet the deadline,” Schettler wrote.
A county spokesperson and city officials in El Centro and Calexico did not answer KPBS’ questions about the new law Tuesday.
State auditors, local elected officials, and civil rights groups have repeatedly raised concerns about language access in Imperial County, which remains one of the poorest areas in California.
Many residents describe a lack of trust in local government, and voter turnout in elections is one of the lowest rates in the state. Latino residents are far less likely to cast ballots than white residents.
In a statement Monday, Durazo said the approval of her bill was a victory for inclusion and the democratic process.
“For too long, working families and underrepresented communities have faced barriers to participating in local government,” Durazo said in a statement Monday.
Imperial County officials had previously opposed the bill, citing the costs of implementing it. Although other parts of the bill might be more expensive, the cost of hiring a translator wouldn’t necessarily be extreme.
In a statement, county spokesperson Eddie Lopez said they do already provide notices and summaries in Spanish for “certain public hearings and projects.” He did not elaborate on how the county decides which hearings or projects to provide translations for.
Calexico’s city manager, Ben Martinez, said the city already offers live interpretation for City Council meetings, but not document translations.
Vega said she hoped to see local governments across the county go further than the basic requirements of the new law.
“Agendas are a bare minimum,” she said.
