Welcome to the New AmeriKa

[Brian4Liberty]

Grok response:

"Are people tested for reading and writing English at truck weigh stations in Arkansas?

There is no conclusive evidence that Arkansas officials are currently administering roadside English reading and writing tests at truck weigh stations. Rumors began circulating in March 2025 after a TikTok video by user @rawnyates311 claimed that truck drivers were being stopped at Arkansas weigh stations, handed a piece of paper, and asked to prove they could read and write in English, with fines of $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for companies employing non-proficient drivers, and arrests for those unable to pay. These claims spread across platforms like X, Facebook, and Reddit, with some posts alleging drivers were handcuffed for failing such tests.

However, both the Arkansas Highway Police and Arkansas State Police have denied conducting such tests. On March 19, 2025, a spokesperson from the Arkansas Highway Police, a division of the Arkansas Department of Transportation, stated via email that no such tests were being carried out. The Arkansas State Police also confirmed they do not check for English proficiency during roadside inspections, as they cannot enforce federal regulations on English language skills due to a 2016 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) bulletin relaxing such rules.

Arkansas passed Act 604 (HB 1745), signed into law by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders on April 14, 2025, which codifies federal requirements for commercial drivers to demonstrate sufficient English proficiency to read road signs, understand traffic signals, and communicate with authorities. The law, effective July 2025, imposes fines of $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for subsequent offenses for drivers lacking proficiency. However, there is no indication in the legislation or from official statements that roadside literacy tests are part of enforcement. Instead, enforcement is expected to focus on traffic stops or accidents where a driver’s inability to communicate in English becomes evident.

The Arkansas Trucking Association noted that the federal English proficiency requirement has existed since the 1930s but was not consistently enforced, prompting Act 604 to allow state and local law enforcement, in addition to highway police, to issue citations. Despite social media claims, no verified reports confirm drivers being tested or arrested specifically for failing impromptu English tests at weigh stations. The rumors may stem from confusion with Act 604’s provisions or misinterpretations of existing federal CDL requirements under 49 CFR § 391.11(b)(2), which mandate English proficiency for commercial drivers.

In summary, while Arkansas law now enforces English proficiency for truck drivers, there is no substantiated evidence of weigh station tests as described in viral claims. Always approach such social media reports with skepticism, as they may exaggerate or misrepresent enforcement practices."

 

[Swordsmyth]

Not for intra-state trucking. The problem is that Congress and SCOTUS have conspired to overturn the Insterstate Commerce Clause and the result is that all intra-state commerce is regulated on the same (federal) level as interstate commerce, which is unconstitutional. Commercial trucking in big states like Texas, etc. may be 100% intra-state and the federales should have nothing to do with it. Through mission-creep, we've allowed the Fedgod to put its camel nose in the tent and now we're all suffocating under a 1-ton camel. They used the ICC to illegally regulate innocuous goods and services like intra-state transportation/agriculture, etc. and now we live in a condition where they've been trying for 30 years or so to overturn the 2nd Amendment on the same grounds. The root problem in every case is allowing the Fedgod to claim powers it doesn't have. WTP need to stop tolerating the domestic tyrants. If they will not abide by the Constitution, then they are crooks, and they should be hanged.

I'd agree to changing the system to differentiate inter and intra state commerce, and exempt the latter from Federal regulation.
But we don't have a system for that (an effort was made on guns but I haven't heard anything about it in years), and until we make that change then the Feds need to enforce English language rules, and the states need to do so as well, which is what is happening in the OP.

 

[Swordsmyth]

Grok response:

"Are people tested for reading and writing English at truck weigh stations in Arkansas?

There is no conclusive evidence that Arkansas officials are currently administering roadside English reading and writing tests at truck weigh stations. Rumors began circulating in March 2025 after a TikTok video by user @rawnyates311 claimed that truck drivers were being stopped at Arkansas weigh stations, handed a piece of paper, and asked to prove they could read and write in English, with fines of $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for companies employing non-proficient drivers, and arrests for those unable to pay. These claims spread across platforms like X, Facebook, and Reddit, with some posts alleging drivers were handcuffed for failing such tests.

However, both the Arkansas Highway Police and Arkansas State Police have denied conducting such tests. On March 19, 2025, a spokesperson from the Arkansas Highway Police, a division of the Arkansas Department of Transportation, stated via email that no such tests were being carried out. The Arkansas State Police also confirmed they do not check for English proficiency during roadside inspections, as they cannot enforce federal regulations on English language skills due to a 2016 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) bulletin relaxing such rules.

Arkansas passed Act 604 (HB 1745), signed into law by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders on April 14, 2025, which codifies federal requirements for commercial drivers to demonstrate sufficient English proficiency to read road signs, understand traffic signals, and communicate with authorities. The law, effective July 2025, imposes fines of $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for subsequent offenses for drivers lacking proficiency. However, there is no indication in the legislation or from official statements that roadside literacy tests are part of enforcement. Instead, enforcement is expected to focus on traffic stops or accidents where a driver’s inability to communicate in English becomes evident.

The Arkansas Trucking Association noted that the federal English proficiency requirement has existed since the 1930s but was not consistently enforced, prompting Act 604 to allow state and local law enforcement, in addition to highway police, to issue citations. Despite social media claims, no verified reports confirm drivers being tested or arrested specifically for failing impromptu English tests at weigh stations. The rumors may stem from confusion with Act 604’s provisions or misinterpretations of existing federal CDL requirements under 49 CFR § 391.11(b)(2), which mandate English proficiency for commercial drivers.

In summary, while Arkansas law now enforces English proficiency for truck drivers, there is no substantiated evidence of weigh station tests as described in viral claims. Always approach such social media reports with skepticism, as they may exaggerate or misrepresent enforcement practices."

I shall approach Grok with much more skepticism because I know enough about how AI works to know it can't be trusted as anything but a starting point for your own research.
I wouldn't be surprised at all to find out that the official denials it claims happened are nothing but hallucinations.

 

[acptulsa]

But we don't have a system for that

Where do you think weigh stations are?

You claim to love this country but you've never done one road trip?

 

[Swordsmyth]

Where do you think weigh stations are?

You claim to love this country but you've never done one road trip?

We do not have a system for differentiating trucks that will cross state lines and trucks that won't, nor do we keep local hauls off the Interstate highway system.

Try to spend just a moment thinking about what you reply to.

 

[acptulsa]

We do not have a system for differentiating trucks that will cross state lines and trucks that won't

You shithead, 99% of weigh stations are on state borders.

Moron.

 

[Swordsmyth]

You shithead, 99% of weigh stations are on state borders.

Moron.

A they aren't all.
B the federal regulations are applied to all trucks anywhere they might be checked, not just at weigh stations (those are just convenient), and it would be best if trucks not crossing state lines were not subject to federal regulations of any kind.

 

[TheTexan]

But we don't have a system for that (an effort was made on guns but I haven't heard anything about it in years)

We had a system for that and it was called the Constitution.

Of course, we don't have a system anymore.

Texas challenged the interstate commerce clause in 2021 by passing a "Made in Texas" firearm suppressor law.

The courts said nope you're not allowed to do that. Because fuck you, that's why. Their exact words.

 

[acptulsa]

A they aren't all.

I said 99%. That isn't all, no.

B the federal regulations are applied to all trucks anywhere they might be checked, not just at weigh stations...

So? What's the thread about? You're just picking nits because you want to pick a fight and get your narrow minded ass kicked, as usual.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

I shall approach Grok with much more skepticism because I know enough about how AI works to know it can't be trusted as anything but a starting point for your own research.
I wouldn't be surprised at all to find out that the official denials it claims happened are nothing but hallucinations.

AI knows nothing about truth, logic or reason. It simply takes what is in it's knowledge base, which is mostly mainstream information from the internet, and regurgitates it in the most polished and convincing manner possible.

It should never be trusted. It contradicts itself constantly. AI is a simulation of a polished politician.

But it can produce a quick overview, and give links to some sources that it used.

 

[PAF]

AI knows nothing about truth, logic or reason. It simply takes what is in it's knowledge base, which is mostly mainstream information from the internet, and regurgitates it in the most polished and convincing manner possible.

It should never be trusted. It contradicts itself constantly. AI is a simulation of a polished politician.

But it can produce a quick overview, and give links to some sources that it used.

Sounds like something Vivek Swampy would be behind/all for.

 

[Swordsmyth]

AI knows nothing about truth, logic or reason. It simply takes what is in it's knowledge base, which is mostly mainstream information from the internet, and regurgitates it in the most polished and convincing manner possible.

It should never be trusted. It contradicts itself constantly. AI is a simulation of a polished politician.

But it can produce a quick overview, and give links to some sources that it used.

It also just slaps together words that fit appropriate word patterns, this results in things that were never in its training data an have no connection to reality.

It's a fancy magic 8 ball.