Contact: Whitney Wilkinson, 435-797-8286, whitney.wilkinson@usu.edu
Writer: Jacob Roskelley, 435-797-0810, jacobr@ext.usu.edu
LOGAN —Youths representing counties from across the state will
participate in hands-on learning at the 18th annual 4-H Mock
Legislature. The event will involve approximately 85 high school-aged
youths and will be held at the Utah State Capitol in the house
chambers Tuesday, April 24.
The event is sponsored by Utah State University Cooperative
Extension and hosted by Rep. Paul Ray of Davis County and the
Office of Legislative Research and General Council.
Maureen Wilson, a legislative data management specialist in the
Office of Legislative Research and General Council, has worked with
Mock Legislature for 12 years. The event is the only one of its kind,
allowing students to sit at the legislator’s desks and debate on the
house floor, she said.
“The kids are fantastic and we always look forward to them coming,”
Wilson said. “They usually begin the day quiet and unsure and then
end the day with all the self-confidence they can build. It’s great to
see them go from one extreme to the other.”
Starting at 10 a.m., guest speakers and Utah legislative personnel
will teach the legislative process and describe how a bill becomes a
law. Then, 4-H participants serve as legislators representing their
respective counties in committee meetings and discussing 15 bills
involving teen issues that were brought before the legislature this
year. The bills deal with issues ranging from cell phone restrictions
for teen drivers to high school graduation requirements. Bills are
discussed in one of three committees named after three of the four
H’s in 4-H: head, heart and hands. Each bill is sponsored and
introduced by one of the participants.
“I had the opportunity to introduce a bill at Mock Legislature last
year,” said Jackie Russell, a former 4-H state ambassador. “It’s a
great learning experience that provides a unique insight into what
goes on in the Capitol building. You get to be involved in things you
wouldn’t normally be able to experience or fully understand.”
After lunch, there will be approximately two hours of debate on the
house floor by the mock legislators, passing or defeating the bills
presented. 4-H state ambassadors, who help coordinate the event,
will serve as speakers of the house and committee chairs.
“I wish this was available when I was younger,” said John Paul
Murphy, USU Extension 4-H youth development specialist and
coordinator of the event. “If I had this kind of hands-on exposure to
the legislative process as a youth, I would probably be a lot more
involved with it today.”
Utah 4-H has programs in every county serving urban and rural Utah
with programs in robotics, leadership, GPS, legislature and more.
4-H is an action-oriented educational program for youth and volunteer
leaders sponsored by USU Cooperative Extension Service. 4-H has
more than eight million members nationally, with 98,269 youths
participating in Utah in 2006.The program is designed to assist youth
in acquiring knowledge, building character and developing life skills
in a learning environment that enables them to become self-directing,
productive members of society. For more information, visit
www.Utah4H.org.
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View the press release as it appeared in Utah State Today.
