James Madison was a man with a lot of sense. He had many things to say about how our country should operate. Most folks must have agreed because they elected him President for a time. We could use some of his wisdom now.

Among many quotes attributed to him is this. “It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of their own choice if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood.”

Recently it was the task of our office to give some advice to one of the county divisions regarding a proposed tax levy. The question had to do with the limitations on levies. The exact question is not so important, but in trying to answer it, we needed to understand this sentence from Article 7 of the Washington Constitution.

(a) By any taxing district when specifically authorized so to do by a majority of at least three-fifths of the voters of the taxing district voting on the proposition to levy such additional tax submitted not more than twelve months prior to the date on which the proposed initial levy is to be made and not oftener than twice in such twelve month period, either at a special election or at the regular election of such taxing district, at which election the number of voters voting “yes” on the proposition shall constitute three-fifths of a number equal to forty percent of the total number of voters voting in such taxing district in at the last preceding general election when the number of voters voting on the proposition does not exceed forty percent of the total number of voters voting in such taxing district in the last preceding general election; or by a majority of at least three-fifths of the voters of the taxing district voting on the proposition to levy when the number of voters voting on the proposition exceeds forty percent of the number of voters voting in such taxing district in the last preceding general election. (Whew)

This is not a sentence that my English teacher would have liked. 198 words in one sentence are too many. It would be a nightmare to diagram. Etc.

(I think that we got to the point where we thought we could understand it, but then again I am not really sure.) We need Mr. Madison again.