The provisions of this article shall be severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence, or provision of this article is declared to be unconstitutional or the applicability thereof to any state, agency, person or circumstance is held invalid, the constitutionality of this article and the applicability thereof to any other state, agency, person or circumstance shall, with respect to all severable matters, not be affected thereby. It is the legislative intent that the provisions of this article be reasonably and liberally construed.