4.6  Ambiguous statutes — interpretation.
  If a statute is ambiguous, the court, in determining the intention of the legislature, may consider among other matters:
  1.  The object sought to be attained.
  2.  The circumstances under which the statute was enacted.
  3.  The legislative history.
  4.  The common law or former statutory provisions, including laws upon the same or similar subjects.
  5.  The consequences of a particular construction.
  6.  The administrative construction of the statute.
  7.  The preamble or statement of policy.
[C73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §4.6]