Lovelett, Rep. Debra Lekanoff and Rep. Alex Ramel made the exceptional effort to pause between committee meetings and talk with the students about the process of how a bill becomes a law; the importance of citizen participation in government; how to apply for the Page program in the coming session; and how they themselves became officeholders. Each legislator also gave a summary of the bills they are personally involved with at the current time. They then fielded questions from the students on everything from how it feels when a bill you have worked very hard on dies in committee to Salmon Recovery plans to what the future looks like for the ferry system. The kids asked good, well-informed questions that demonstrated how well they had prepared for this opportunity. One of the parents present remarked that between listening to our kids and our competent, cooperating, serious-minded LD40 team, she felt a great spark of optimism for the future.
Read more in The Islands’ Sounder.