Rep. Perez proposes adding pictures to bills to boost public comprehension

Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez wrote to congressional leadership urging that every new bill feature visual illustrations, contending that many Americans cannot readily parse dense statutory language. She portrayed the move as a step toward greater representation for visual learners, manual workers, and professionals beyond the traditional “staffer bro” audience. While existing federal regulations already embed pictures, observers say this has not markedly enhanced readability, and legal scholars such as Harvey Silverglate recommend drafting fewer, clearer statutes instead.

The proposal is set against a backdrop of a national literacy crisis, highlighted by low reading scores among fourth-graders in Washington state and struggling college students nationwide. The piece also references historical oppression of literacy, drawing a parallel to the Khmer Rouge’s targeting of bespectacled individuals. The article concludes by noting the irony of a lawmaker with an economics degree championing a measure that could be seen as undermining the very analytical skills she herself employs.