Governor Gregoire Honors Eight Leaders in Washington Plain Talk Initiative

For Immediate Release: November 6, 2007

Plain Talk makes it easier for citizens to do business with state government

OLYMPIA � Governor Chris Gregoire today named eight state agency projects as recipients of the 2007 Governor�s Plain Talk Award. This year�s awards mark the first year that the Governor will distribute annual Plain Talk awards, which will be given as recognition of outstanding state agency plain language efforts.

�Good communication is essential to good government,� said Governor Gregoire. �These projects have demonstrated a real change in how state agencies do business with citizens. Washington�s Plain Talk initiative is demonstrating real results and making sure that Washington government is delivering exceptional service to all Washingtonians.�

�Washington is at the forefront of the movement to provide clear documents to its citizens. With Plain Talk, government workers focus on the people who must read and comply with what they write. Everyone benefits from Plain Talk. It saves time and money. It reduces unnecessary phone calls. It reduces anxiety and pressure on people who just want to understand what government is telling them,� said Janice Redish, Ph.D., a linguist and nationally recognized plain talk expert.

Governor Gregoire signed Plain Talk Executive Order 05-03 in 2005. The Governor�s Plain Talk Initiative promotes communicating that makes it easier for people to do business with government. A Plain Talk document is brief and to-the-point. It uses non-bureaucratic language and it uses an active style that makes it clear who is responsible for what. A Plain Talk document features a clean design that promotes fast scanning and reading.

�Citizens in a democracy have a right to expect governments at all levels to communicate with them in a style they can understand. The Center for Plain Language commends Washington for being a leader in the important work of bringing government to the people in the language of the people,� said Annetta Cheek, vice-chairperson for the Center for Plain Language in Washington, DC.

Award winning projects were nominated by their agencies and selected by a committee for recognition based on Plain Talk criteria. The selection committee included state representatives, business leaders, Plain Talk experts, private citizens and members of Governor Gregoire�s senior staff. Winners were selected from a statewide field of 65 applications representing 16 agencies.

2007 Governor�s Plain Talk Award Recipients

Department of Licensing
Improving the Order of Cancellation of Driving Privileges form

Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals
Improving letters that describe mediation and hearing processes

Department of Social & Health Services
Improving benefit eligibility letters to reduce duplications

Department of Licensing
Improving their web site, www.dol.wa.gov

Department of Social & Health Services
Improving a brochure communicating with child support customers in prison

Health Care Authority
Improving the Uniform Medical Plan's Benefits Book

Department of Labor & Industries
Creating an easy-to-use guide to applying for a Washington business license

Department of Labor & Industries
Being a statewide leader in Plain Talk

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