January 1, Blue States Face Federal Money Loss After Trucker Crash

Wyatt’s Take

• The federal government is cracking down on states over English language rules for truckers.
• Millions in funding are at risk for California, Washington, and New Mexico.
• All this follows a deadly crash caused by an illegal immigrant trucker lacking English skills.

A deadly Florida highway crash sparked a federal move to withhold funding from California, Washington, and New Mexico if they keep ignoring English language requirements for commercial truckers. These three states now have just 30 days to start enforcing the rules or risk losing millions meant for their roads and safety programs.

“This is about keeping people safe on the road. Your families, your kids, your spouses, your loved ones, your friends,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. “We all use the roadway, and we need to make sure that those who are driving big rigs — semis — can understand the road signs, that they’ve been well-trained.”

The probe started after a 28-year-old illegal immigrant from India, Harjinder Singh, caused an accident on the Florida Turnpike. Singh tried a U-turn where it was not allowed, and his semi jackknifed into a minivan, killing all three passengers. Officials stated Singh could not speak English and failed the required CDL test after the crash.

Duffy explained that Singh got his licenses in California and Washington, then was stopped for speeding in New Mexico but allowed to keep driving even though he didn’t speak English. Duffy said states are supposed to pull trucks out of service if the driver can’t speak English—a rule in place since June—but California, Washington, and New Mexico have barely enforced it.

Jesse Elison of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration confirmed the states have 30 days to provide plans fixing this, or else they’ll lose their funding. The totals at risk add up to $33 million for California, $10.5 million for Washington, and $7 million for New Mexico.

“We don’t want to take away money from states, but we will take money away and we’ll take additional steps that get progressively more difficult for these states,” Duffy warned.

Our roads should be safe for law-abiding families, not threatened by dangerous policy failures. Will these states finally get tough, or will D.C. have to do it for them?

Wyatt Matters

This is about demanding government put citizens and American values first. Trucks keep our shelves stocked and roads lively, but safety gets tossed out the window by careless bureaucracy. Heartland folks deserve leaders who protect highways for honest working families—not lawbreakers or careless officials.

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