High school students from across Central Illinois recently had the opportunity to try their hand at the legislative process through a program hosted by State Senator Steve McClure (R-Springfield) in Springfield.
“This is an opportunity to encourage students to become the next generation of leaders,” said Senator McClure. “It’s amazing to see these students explore their interest in politics and government.”
Senator McClure’s Youth Advisory Council welcomed 78 students from across the 54th Senate District to the University of Illinois campus in Springfield. There students learned more about government by hearing from the Mayor of Springfield, the Illinois Auditor General, and a Senate Caucus spokesperson.
“As young people, we are the future of this country. I know a lot of people don’t like to get involved with politics, but they’re the same people who are greatly affected by stuff like this, by the laws and policies put in place,” said Central A & M High School student Lynna Kearney. “This has definitely opened my eyes and helped me try to figure out how I can connect to people and put my ideas out there.”
“If we don’t understand how it works, how are we going to vote and know what we’re voting for,” said Gillespie High School student Douglas Neverdowski. “When you vote for a president, or even a Senator that goes to the state, that’s going to affect your county, that’s going to affect your schools, your businesses, your districts, maybe even your income tax will be affected by that.”
The students also proposed ideas for their own legislation, including bills that would improve access to mental health for schools, increase access to assessments, and make food healthier. In the afternoon, the students held a mock legislative committee hearing, where they served in various roles, from legislators to lobbyists and concerned citizens.
“I am stuck at a table with people I’ve never met before, and it’s really interesting to find common ground on things that we want in our society, and I find that even though we’re from all over and of different kinds, that we all want the same things,” said Effingham High School student Hollann Thoele.
“We learned a lot about the basics of the legislative process, city level, state level, things like that, how to do bills, talk in committees, debate bills, and have good debates about other stuff,” said Springfield High School student Caiden Bietsch. “There’s a lot of adults I know that don’t even know how this works, and for us as a nation to make more informed opinions and to be able to kind of rewrite the script of agreeing with each other, or disagreeing, respectfully, understanding how that process works, how voting works, how bills are going through that process, will overall help us in that pursuit.”
Senator McClure’s Youth Advisory Council is open to all high schools in the 54th Senate District. If you know of a student who may be interested in taking part next year, they are encouraged to talk to their principal or superintendent.
