Last month was Illinois’s YMCA Youth & Government. “Illinois YMCA Youth & Government is a leadership development program for high school students. Participants immerse themselves in all aspects of Illinois government by assuming roles of legislators, attorneys, executive officials, lobbyists, press members and more. The culmination of each program year is a 3-day conference in which students debate issues using the actual Illinois Capitol and Supreme Court facilities.”

This year FCHS brought 15 students. FCHS had three bill groups (a bill groups consists of two to four students sponsoring a bill). They had one Legislative Assistant and three members of the press.

The senior bill group consisted of Bailey Neibch, Hannah Humphreys, and Annabelle Hopkins. Their bill was to make it where kids 16 - 18 can get a tattoo in the state of Illinois with parental and artists’ consent. Neibch said, “Although our bill didn’t get considered through either house, we still think it was a really good idea.”

The junior bill group consisted of Macy Stone, Eli Baltzell, Presli Britton, and Ava Harkins. Their bill was to make declawing cats illegal in Illinois. Baltzell said, “Our bill was super important to the livelihood of felines in the state of Illinois. Throughout presenting our bill, it was strongly agreed with among a variety of people, along with in pre-legs our bill was able to gain first priority. While our bill wasn't able to be presented in either the House or Senate, it was an amazing experience, and next year we plan to finally be able to sign it into law.”

The last bill was a mixture of three juniors and a sophomore. It consisted of Micah Lawrence, Cassie Veschusio, Carlie Margelli, and Hunter Loeh. Their bill was to make it illegal to pass a moving school bus on a two-way road. Margelli says, “Our bill was super important to our group considering the fact that something tragic had happened locally. We got input from many different bus drivers who also agreed how dangerous passing a bus can be and how nervous it makes them feel. This bill group has been revising and researching this topic since October, so it was an honor for us to be able to squeeze it in, in five minutes during our very last session before we headed home.” Their bill was the only bill to get considered through both legislative bodies and then signed by the Youth Governor.

This was Mr. Dodd’s first year as FCHS’s advisor. He was previously Eldorado High School’s advisor. When asked about his first year as the FCHS advisor, he said, “There is still a lot that I am learning about the program but enjoy being a part of it. This year’s assembly had some frustration, but I still feel that our delegation gained valuable experience. I am proud that we had one group get a bill passed and that everyone had a chance to be involved in their respective roles.”