Over 300 teens will be at the Capitol this weekend for a mock legislative session. Teenagers from all over the state who are part of the Youth Leadership Association: Youth in Government will travel to Charleston to hold a student led, mock legislative session for three days.
All youth senators, delegates, and leadership seats were elected by their peers from all areas of the state over the course of the past few months.
“We have a mock legislature, a mock judicial branch, and a mock executive branch, and we debate and pass bills both in committee and on the floor,” said Youth Governor, Tyler Jenkins, a senior from Martinsburg High School, “The judicial section actually uses the actual chambers of the Supreme Court to run over cases. We use the actual chambers of the Senate and the House of Delegates and we debate the bills there and use the committee rooms to do the committees, and it’s really fantastic. And it’s empty at this time, so it’s basically like high school students are running the Capitol.”
The Youth Senate President and Youth House Speaker are also from Martinsburg High.
Jenkins says he and his peers plan to introduce 100 pieces of legislation, many of those inspired by the bills passed or rejected this past 2015 session; such as the abortion bill, the repeal of common core, legalizing cross-bow hunting, and others.