Excerpted from March 13, 2005 Asheville Citizen-Times
Legislator for a day
Students practice lawmaking skills
By
Michael Flynn
Staff Writer
published: March 13, 2005 6:00 am
ASHEVILLE — After considering a bill addressing arts funding, North Buncombe High School seniors Danny Coleman and Austen High decided to propose a reduction in class size at Buncombe County high schools.
“It’s been proven to bridge the achievement gap with minorities,” High said, “and it’s important to the future of education.”
A majority of their fellow students at Saturday’s fifth annual American Youth Congress agreed, approving their proposal 60-49.
Titled “Legislator for the Day,” the program gave participating students from about 20 Western North Carolina middle and high schools a taste of legislative give and take.
Before convening the congress, students drafted proposals on local, state and federal issues ranging from expanding high school vocational classes, to raising the state’s cigarette tax to tightening
controls on illegal immigration. The students met in legislative committees in the morning before forming lobbying sessions to garner support for their proposals, which were presented to the entire group and voted on in the afternoon.
“There’s not many formats like this,” said North Buncombe history teacher Bob Graeme. “These kids are taking their own time to do this.”
Organized by the Public Policy Institute at Western Carolina University, the event is designed to expose students to the responsibilities of citizenship, said institute Director Gordon Mercer, who noted that some proposals from past years have been considered by actual legislatures.
“We’re trying to give youth in the region a voice so that people can better understand them,” he said. “It lets people know what the youth are thinking as well as their ideas for solving problems.”
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The luncheon debate produced student votes against privatizing social security and in favor of requiring the General Assembly periodically to meet outside Raleigh. The student legislators also agreed to allow students the freedom of speech to wear a T-shirt labeling President Bush an international terrorist if they wanted to.
Hayesville High School freshman Lenora Somervell said the rising number of personal bankruptcies driven by health care expenses, plus the financial burden of a family illness led her to propose a federal program to fund certain out-of-pocket medical costs.
“I’ve learned a lot about how the system works,” Somervell said about her experience, “and how to go about changing things.”