I am very happy to announce that the House Page Program is again accepting applications for the 2014 legislative session. This is a truly unique experience, and I encourage our local students at apply. The Page Program allows students 13 to 18 years of age the opportunity to visit the Indiana Statehouse for a day and view the legislative process first hand. Students who serve as pages receive an excused absence from school for the day; however, the Statehouse quickly becomes an extension of the classroom, providing a hands-on learning experience which yields a better understanding of the role Hoosiers play in our representative democracy. This is something parents and children can agree on! Visiting pages are able to attend committee hearings, where bills are explored and discussed in an in-depth manner; witness session, where bills that pass out of committee are put up for a vote in front of the entire House; as well as help staff members with the daily tasks that keep this operation going. In addition to seeing the ins and outs of the General Assembly, students will also have the opportunity to tour locations such as the governor’s office, the chambers of the Indiana House and Senate as well as the Indiana Supreme Court. The Indiana Statehouse is unique in that it is one of the few Statehouses in the country to house all three branches of government under one roof: the executive, judicial and legislative. While pages are responsible for their own transportation to and from the Statehouse, I assure you it is a trip worth making. I highly encourage our local students to apply today, as spots tend to fill up quickly. If you are interested, you can apply online at www.in.gov/legislative/house_republicans/off_cms/page or by phone at 1-800-382-9841. Spots will be available on session days: Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from January through mid-March. When applying, applicants are asked to provide two different dates that they are available. Students will leave the Statehouse with a true picture of how laws are made in Indiana, but perhaps of equal importance, after visiting with me, they will leave knowing who represents them and their families in Indianapolis. Each year as I look forward to another legislative session, the opportunity to meet more young Hoosiers is one of the things I look forward to the most. I am always so impressed by their interest in state government, and their eagerness to get involved. I am optimistic that many of these young students will one day be our future leaders, perhaps even sitting where I sit today! I cannot wait to see a whole new group of District 67 students this session, but until then, I wish you all the peace and love that accompanies Christmas and a New Year filled with joy! -30- |
