I always love the calm after the holidays. Spending quality time with family, kids playing with their presents and a new year, which brings new opportunities, is officially underway. For state lawmakers, this time of year is spent preparing for the upcoming legislative session, and I look forward to all the work we can accomplish to benefit families in southwest Indiana.
Along with the chance to improve our community, there are also a variety of opportunities for students to get involved in the legislative process. That is why I am excited to announce the House Page Program is now accepting applications. This program is open to students ages 13 to 18 and allows them to visit the Statehouse to observe a full day of legislative activity.
It is always refreshing to see so many young faces at the Statehouse, and I enjoy their eagerness to learn and become immersed in the legislative process. Pages have the chance to work closely with legislators and staff members as well as sit in on committee meetings, where bills are discussed and debated.
However, one of the best things about being a page is visiting the Statehouse and being able to see the incredible architecture, which alone is worth the trip. During their visit, students will have the opportunity to tour the governor’s office, the House and Senate chambers and the Indiana Supreme Court.
Students are responsible for coordinating all transportation to and from the Statehouse and will receive an excused absent from school for that day. With spots filling up fast, students who are interested in the program are highly encouraged to schedule their visit quickly. Students are asked to include two separate dates to visit and those dates should be between the first weeks of January through April.
I highly recommend pages to visit on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays when the House is in session. We do not have pages on Fridays, because legislators will typically be back in their districts spending time with family or working their full-time jobs.
This is a valuable and exciting experience that I encourage all eligible students to apply for. The opportunity to meet and work with students from our community is an equally exciting for me as well, and I hope that many teachers and parents will encourage students to apply to the ouse p Ghh;fkgkl;sdjglksdgflknsdfgvHouse Page Program.
For more information on the House Page Program, please visit http://www.in.gov/legislative/house_republicans/off_cms/page.html or email pages@iga.in.gov. You can also contact my office by calling 1-800-382-9841 or by emailing h74@iga.in.gov.
I look forward to meeting all the pages from our community that participate, and I hope everyone had a safe and Happy New Year.
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