The Minnesota Department of Revenue made a triumphant announcement the other day, and it wasn't about arresting someone for tax evasion.
Its publicity campaign for taxpayers to use direct deposit for refunds had won a notable distinction: People could actually understand it.
Every year, the Center for Plain Language distributes its ClearMark awards to government agencies, corporations and nonprofits for "the best plain language communication written for consumers."
It warms this English major's heart to know there's something called the Center for Plain Language. I felt even more encouraged after talking to the center's chairwoman, Susan Kleimann, a communications consultant in the Washington, D.C., area.
Kleimann believes that plain language is on the march. Every year, the center — a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization — gives a report card to federal agencies based on the extent of literary butchery and jargon. "We're actually seeing an improvement in the overall writing," she said.
Could it be the power of the Plain Writing Act of 2010, passed by Congress that year and signed by President Obama? The law directs all federal agencies to write anything intended for regular people in a way that's comprehensible.
Everything else feels like it's going wrong in Washington, but we're winning the war against gobbledygook.
In Minnesota, Gov. Mark Dayton issued his own plain language executive order in 2014.