Plain Writing legislative history:  

   Comparisons of Bill Versions
   Legislative History
   Media's Response: Blogs, etc.
   Historical Bibliography

Government use of plain language editing software:  

   stylewriterforgovernment

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The Media's Response to the Legislative Efforts
Leading to the Plain Writing Act of 2010
— In Blogs, Newspapers, and Other Periodicals,
2007-2010
A Project of the Plain Writing Association
 • 2010 • 2009 • 2008 • 2007 • Additions/Corrections • 

This ongoing Project of the Plain Writing Association attempts to document the media's response to the legislative efforts leading to the Plain Writing Act of 2010. Focusing mainly on the period from 2007 to 2010, the Project, arranged in reverse chronology, presents links to articles and posts in blogs, newspapers, and other periodicals.

The links below cover the year 2010. Use the navigation links above to proceed to a different year.

December 23, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Forbes, Robert W. Wood, Decoding The Tax Law


December 20, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star The Private Library, L.D. Mitchell, Obfuscation, Bureaucratic and Academic, at The Private Library


December 14, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Ripple Effect, Amy Bielski, Plain Writing Act of 2010


December 13, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Traverse City Record-Eagle, Jodee Taylor, Jodee Taylor: Plain words are best


november 15, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Utah State Law Library, Jessica Van Buren, Plain Writing Act of 2010


november 14, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Legal Writing Prof Blog, Plain Writing Act of 2010(mentioned in: Legal Blog Watch, Bruce Carton, 'Plain Writing Act of 2010' Seeks Clearer Government Communications)

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star The Assembly Area, Seriously? A government agency to monitor how other agencies write?!


november 10, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Schlabig, Sharon Sledzik, Plain Writing - 2010


november 9, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Center for Plain Language, Plain Writing Laws, Deborah S. Bosley, First, the Act. Then, Accountability

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star The Hill's Congress Blog, John Klotsche, Tax simplification: Congress passes the buck


november 3, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Fleet Maintenance, Kolman's Korner, The feds now have to be clear and concise


november 1, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star AllGov, Noel Brinkerhoff, Replacing Government-Speak with Clear Words - U.S. Edition


October 28, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star C. Hope Clark, Dumbing Down Writing


October 26, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star IRS Hitman, What the IRS Plain Writin Act Looks Like: And What it Means for YOU


October 25, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star IRS Medic, Anthony E. Parent, "Plain Writing Law" will force IRS to be gooder


October 22, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star WriteClick, Melua, Plain English now the law in US

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Progressive News Daily, Jim Swanson, Wally Herger: A Big Silent "F*** YOU" To Everyone But Himself


October 21, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star L.W. Cooper Law Office, As If You Should Have to Ask: Plain Writing Rule Becomes Law

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Technical Communication Center, Ugur Akinci, President Obama Signed Plain Writing Act of 2010


October 20, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Deceiver, Obama: Trust Me, the Plain Writing Is In There - Somewhere

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Center for Plain Language, Plain Language Matters, ABC Reports Plain Writing Act

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Royse Law, Obama Signs "Plain Writing Act of 2010" into Law


October 19, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Roni Deutch Tax Center, Roni Deutch, IRS Must Use "Plain Language"

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Tax Rascal, Plain Writing Act of 2010: Can Taxes Ever Make Sense?

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star IQ Solutions, Dan Johnson, Coming Soon: Plain Language from the Federal Government


October 18, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Tax Girl, Plain Writing Act of 2010 Clears Things Right Up(quoted in: Roth & Company, Plain Writing, Indeed)

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star CCH, Anton, Plain writing - banishing gibberish

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Trident Leverage, John Evelyn, Get Lost

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star American Copy Editors Society, Board Notes, Teresa Schmedding, HR 946? Plain Nonsense?

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Forbes, Taxing Matters, Janet Novack, The IRS, College Tax Credits and Congress' Plain Writing Hypocrisy

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star The Blaze, Jonathan M. Seidl, New Law: Obama Signs 'Plain Writing Act'


October 17, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Good With Words, Ingrid Sapona, Obama signs Plain Writing Act of 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star ABC News, World News With Diane Sawyer, John Berman, Obama Signs 'Plain Writing' Law

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star ABC News Radio Online, Joshua Cohan, Tax Forms Will Never Be The Same: 'Plain Writing' Law Passes


October 16, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Don't Mess With Taxes, Kay Bell, Your taxes, now in plain language

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Brooklyn Law School, BLS Library, Harold O'Grady, The Plain Writing Act


October 15, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Law Librarian, It's Time for "Plain Language:" Obama Signs H.R. 946, the Plain Writing Act of 2010


October 14, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star GBM News, Dawn Rivers Baker, Plain Writing in Government Documents Is The Law!

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Pappas Tax, Peter Pappas, New Law: IRS Must Talk Plainly

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Roth CPA, Roth & Company, Congress: Your Guys Speak Plainly, But We'll Continue To Babble Gibberish

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Progress Ohio, Dave, Voinovich Sponsored Plain Writing Act Signed Into Law

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star A Taxing Matter, Plain English or Misleading Tax Rhetoric Oct. 14, 2010: Tax Prof Blog, Paul L. Caron, IRS Must Now Use 'Plain Writing'(referred to in: How to Beat the Taxman)

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Microenterprise Journal Blog, Plain Writing in Government Documents is the Law!

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Iowa Politics, Bruce Braley, U.S. House of Representatives, Press Release, Bill to Simplify Public Documents Now Becomes Law

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Bag of Nothing, Geeding, Bag of Randomness

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Taxing Tennessee, Ben Cunningham, Call off the Tea Party, we are SAVED!!

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star New York Times, The Caucus, Michael D. Shear, Obama Signs Perfectly Plain Law

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Death or Taxes, IRS Must Use "Plain Language"


October 13, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Center for Plain Language, Plain Writing Laws, President Obama Signs Plain Writing Act of 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star USA Today, Michael Winter, 'Plain Writing' now the rule for federal government(also quoted in Democratic Underground)

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Daily Globe (by subscription), Worthington, Minnesota, As other see it: 'Language Bill' needed


October 12, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star VITA-Volunteers, On Friday, October 1st, H.R. 946, "Plain Writing Act of 2010" was presented to the President…


October 8, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star The Daily Republic (subscription), Mitchell, South Dakota, Our View: Congress' language bill needed to clear up confusion


October 4, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Write With Jean, Make Mine Plain, Please

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Votetocracy, HR. 946 - Plain Language Act of 2009

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Clifton Douglas, Houses-passed "Plain Writing Act of 2010" will affect some IRS guidance; bill awaits President's signature(also in: Your Most Valuable Asset, Steven Hoffman and in Accounting and Tax Tips, Kenneth Reid, Oct. 12, 2010)

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Newspapers publishing their representatives' Sept. 29 roll-call voting record of the Plain Writing Act (supplied by "The Votes In Congress Service" of Thomas Voting Reports) included in:Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, VA, Courier & Press, Evansville, IN, News and Observer, Raleigh, NC, Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, Salem, MA, Press of Atlantic City, NJ, Seattle Times, Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, Las Cruces Sun-News, NM, as well as Inland Politics, CA, AllBusiness , Goliath


October 1, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Forbes, Robert W. Wood, Plainspoken tax law

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Iowa Politics, U.S. Congress: Plain language act goes to President's desk (Press Release, Sept. 30, 2010, Bill to Simplify Public Documents Passes House 341-82)

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Adam B. Sullivan, Congress Should Go Even Farther With Plain Language Law


September 30, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Hafen Buckner Everett & Graff, Policy & Regulatory, The Senate late on September 27, approved, by voice vote…

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Wealth Strategies, James G. Haskell, Federal Government Must Speak Plainly

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Communicate Health, Plain Writing - required by law!


September 29, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Center for Plain Language, Plain Language Matters, The Senate Passes Plain Writing Act of 2010: Government At Its Best

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Thomson Reuters, Abe Carnow, Plain Speaking and Tax Law


September 28, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star OMB Watch, Gavin Baker, Congress Tries to Make Bureaucrats Communicate More Clearly(and cited in: Legal Buzz)

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Iowa Politics, U.S. Rep. Braley: Senate passes Braley Plain Language Act (Press Release, Sept. 28, 2010, Bill to Simplify Public Documents Receives Unanimous Consent)(also excerpted in: Health Information Literacy, Sept. 30, Angela Arner, Plain Writing Act Passes, National Network of Libraries of Medicine and Hawaii 24/7, and included in Senatus, Senate Passes the Plain Writing Act and GovLoop, GovLaunch - Plain Language Act Passes)


August 9, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Cagle Post, Tom Purcell, Needed - Plain English and Cagle Cartoons(also in: The Doc Is In (Aug. 10), In The Rain (Aug. 15), The Politicus (Aug. 10), Catholic Exchange (Aug. 10), Politically Illustrated (Aug. 10), Jewish World Review (Aug. 10), Henry Daily Herald, McDonough, GA (Aug. 11), SIT News, Ketchikan, AK (Aug. 16), Pittsburgh Tribune (Aug. 8), Aurora Sentinel (Aug. 11), The Herald News, Fall River, MA (Aug. 9), NWTN Today (Aug. 11), TN, Pekin Times, IL (Aug.15), Sun Journal, New Bern, NC (Aug. 9), Daily Tribune, Cartersville, GA (Aug. 9), Wilson County News, TX (Aug. 12), News Sun, Sebring, FL (Aug. 25), Leader Call, Laurel (Aug. 11), Standard-Examiner, Ogden, UT (Aug. 13)


June 14, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Communicate Health, Plain Writing Act of 2010 Passes the House


May 22, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Business Record, Jim Pollock, Say what, now?


April 23, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Duct Tape and Butter Cream, David Morrison, A Bill Everyone Can Support


April 19, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Center for Plain Language, Language Matters, Whitney Quesenbery, Time for Plain Writing: Myths and Reality


April 15, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Corp Magazine, Michael F. Carmichael, Can Plain Writing improve your bottom line - or change the way we behave


April 6, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star File These, Plain Language


March 25, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star WriteClick, Melua, US Plain Writing bill off to senate


March 24, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, House Approves Bill Requiring IRS to Use 'Plain Writing,' Except in Regulations


March 23, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star OMB Watch, Sunshine Week 2010 Concludes with a Number of Federal Initiatives


March 22, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star John Locke Foundation, Squall Lines, Bob Smith, Government Speak


March 21, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Newspapers publishing their representatives' March 17 roll-call voting record of the Plain Writing Act (supplied by "The Votes In Congress Service" of Thomas Voting Reports) included:Raleigh News & Observer, NC, Seattle Times, WA, Courier & Press, Evansville, IN as well as AllBusiness


March 19, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Pappas Tax, Peter Pappas, House Says IRS Regulations Don't Have to be Written in Plain Language


March 18, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Irregular Times, Ted Poe's Split Personality Returns

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Tax Prof, Paul L. Caron, House Approves Bill Requiring the IRS to Use 'Plain Writing,' Except in Regs

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star TechPresident, Nancy Scola, Major Legislative Win for the Plain Language Movement. The What?


March 17/18, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Bruce Braley, U.S. House of Representatives, Press Release, House Passes Braley Plain Language Act(also in: Center for Plain Language, Plain Language Matters, Plain Language, Building Rapport, Cheryl Stephens, Plain English Asia, Project Vote Smart, PlainLanguage Wizardry, Web Content Managers Forum)


March 15, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Microbusiness News Briefs, Dawn Rivers Baker, Plain Language Could Make Compliance Easier


March 12, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Tax Foundation, Mark Robyn, Who is Really to Blame for Bewildering Tax Rules?


March 8, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Center for Plain Language, Plain Language Matters, Now is Our Chance to Support Passage of the Plain Language Act


February 21, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Changing Minds, Robert Deigh, A Law Against Poor Writing?


February 1, 2010

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Center for Plain Language, Plain Language Matters, Speak Up For Plain Language

 • 2010 • 2009 • 2008 • 2007 • About • Additions/Corrections • 
P.W.A. PROJECTS

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Plain Writing Legislation: A Comparison of Bills
      — This Project of the Plain Writing Association uses proofreading marks and side-by-side comparisons to show how the various versions of the major plain writing bills of the last few years evolved into the Plain Writing Act of 2010. (MORE)

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Plain Writing Legislative History
      — This Project of the Plain Writing Association presents a legislative history of the passage of the Plain Writing Act of 2010, documenting the process by which failed plain-writing legislation in the 110th and 111th Congresses ultimately led to the Act. (MORE)

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star Government Use of Plain Language Editing Software
      — This Project of the Plain Writing Association is a separate website (writersupercenter.com/stylewriterforgovernment) which advocates the use of the ground-breaking plain-English editing software known as StyleWriter Software to assist government in writing more clearly and concisely, in compliance with the Plain Writing Act. (MORE)

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star The Media's Response to Plain Writing Legislative Efforts
      — This ongoing Project of the Plain Writing Association attempts to document the media's response to the legislative efforts leading to the Plain Writing Act of 2010.  Focusing mainly on the period from 2007 to 2010, the Project, arranged chronologically, presents links to articles and posts in blogs, newspapers, and other periodicals. (MORE)

Plain Writing Association / Plain Writing Act / plain English star A Historical Bibliography of the Plain Language Movement
      — This ongoing Project of the Plain Writing Association presents links to articles that cover the main categories of the history of the plain language movement within American government. (MORE)

PLAIN ENGLISH SOFTWARE
StyleWriter For Government Website
Through our writersupercenter.com/stylewriterforgovernment website, PWA distributes plain-writing editing software to governments, businesses, organizations, and individuals. (MORE)

StyleWriter Editing Software
Working within MS Word, StyleWriter Editing Software converts any kinds of written documents (reports, correspondence, contracts, regulations, essays, etc.) into clear, concise, plain English... as you write. StyleWriter identifies and corrects more than 35,000 patterns of writing styles and problems. (See DEMO)

...StyleWriter Software is currently used in the offices of numerous federal agencies, such as the FDA, EPA, and FAA, as well as within 100s of businesses, organizations, and universities worldwide — and by 1000s of individuals.
      StyleWriter is helping to change the culture of careless, unclear, and confusing writing. And in the process, it is helping to save countless hours of work and millions of dollars otherwise lost answering confused client inquiries and complaints, clearing up foul-ups caused by miscommunications, and repeating misunderstood requests.

 Electronic Writing Course
We now have at our StyleWriterForGovernment website an Electronic Writing Course that can be used in conjunction with, or separate from, the StyleWriter Software. It's a thorough self-directed course in writing that provides employees with all they need to know to be proficient editors of their work and to make the most effective use of StyleWriter Software. (DETAILS)
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