Job opportunities for language police

If you work for the state of Oregon as I do, better start looking for your plain-language ’style guide’.

This just in from the Salem Statesman Journal:

‘Plain language’ bill moves forward

State agencies
May 9, 2007
Steve Law

The state bureaucracy must start using “plain language” in its written material, under a bill that won final legislative approval Monday.

House Bill 2702-A requires the governor to appoint a state agency to take charge of the project. The agency must develop a plan for all documents to use plain language, simple sentences and be of readable layout and lettering size.

“It’s about time for all state agencies to write in plain language so we all know what’s going on,” said Sen. Vicki Walker, D-Eugene.

In the future, words like “abeyance” will be a no-no, to be replaced by words like “suspension.”

The bill passed the Senate 28-1 Monday, with little discussion. It earlier passed the House 57-1.

State officials hope to make the required shift gradually, without any additional spending.

Conveniently, this measure doesn’t apply to legislative bills, Oregon Revised Statuates, and Oregon Administrative Rules – most of which could benefit from effective plain-language rewrites.

Meanwhile, if you can’t find your plain-language style guide, the best usage book I know of is Merriam-Webster’s Concise Dictionary of English Usage (ISBN: 0-87779-633-5).

So remember: In Oregon state government, words like “abeyance” will be a no-no, to be replaced by words like “suspension.” Good news for language police – bad news for those of us to try to write clearly.

Choose your words carefully and have a nice day.