Source:
Damon Miller dmi@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu, (352) 846-0996
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — More than 200 teens spent a week learning how government works in a citizenship lab in Tallahassee. The Florida House of Representatives chambers were used to run the experiment. There weren’t any test tubes or chemicals. There were issues like women’s history month, school uniforms and harsher penalties for juvenile offenders.
The annual 4-H Legislature teaches citizenship education in a hands-on way instead of with a textbook, said Damon Miller, assistant dean for 4-H youth development at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Last week’s session marked the 29th year 4-H’ers have converged on the capitol to serve as legislators and lobbyists. A mini-press corps cranked out a daily newspaper called the “Legislative Times.”
All of the heated debate on the House floor was not just a lot of hot air. Amid the hubbub, the teens learned to be active citizens. “The bills that pass or get killed on the floor or in committee are not important,” said Miller. “What is important are the lessons they learn about how government works. Now is the time to teach them, so they can think critically when they start voting at the age of 18.”
Teens learn to examine issues through the program. “The most useful thing I’ve learned through 4-H Legislature is to explore every side of an issue,” said state 4-H council president Mamie Wise, 18, of Zephyrhills in Pasco County. She plans to major in biology at Duke University this fall and go into politics after law school.
“I think that it’s very easy to take a certain stance on something because that’s what we hear in the news or that’s the most popular opinion, but Legislature really brings out many different opinions,” said Wise. “It has molded me into a more open-minded individual.” Wise appointed the youth committee that organizes the event every year. The group meets three times-per-year and works year-round via e-mail to draft legislation.
Teens say that the experience is empowering. “It instills in them a deep sense of responsibility to be active in our government. It showed me that we all have an obligation to vote and to be involved,” said Kristen Braun, 17, of Madison and Speaker of the House for 4-H Legislature.
Keeping the proceedings on track from the speaker’s platform involved prep time for Braun, and she kept the gavel handy. It was the same gavel used by Speaker of the House Tom Feeney during legislative sessions. Braun seemed unphased that the “real” Florida House of Representatives has never chosen a female Speaker.
Female leadership is accepted within 4-H, according to Wise and Braun. “4-H has supported me and many other young women in leadership opportunities 100 percent,” said Wise. Wise pointed out that there are plenty of opportunities in government open to women today, mentioning that Toni Jennings served as president of the Florida Senate and Senator Ginny Brown-Waite is president pro tempore.
State Representative Loranne Ausley spoke to the delegates at their awards banquet on Thursday night about why she enjoys serving as a state representative. State Representative Jim Spratt, himself a 4-H alumnus and chair of the House agriculture committee, spoke to the teen delegates on Thursday, and House majority leader State Representative Mike Fasano also addressed the group. State Comptroller Bob Milligan also visited the chambers and talked to the 4-H’ers about not only politics, but also about how his 4-H agent influenced his career early in life. Several key legislative staffers and lobbyists volunteered their time with the 4-H’ers during the week to explain how committees function and to help 4-H lobbyists learn the ropes. Political columnist Bill Cotterall even talked to the 4-H press corps about how to cover politics.
Hearing from real people engaged in government service is an important part of 4-H Legislature, said Miller. He said many “4-H legislators” take their responsibilities as citizens to vote seriously later in life and some go on to careers in government. U.S. Congressman Adam Putnam, 26, who was involved in the 4-H Legislature program in his teens only a decade ago, is now the youngest member of the 107th U.S. Congress. U.S. Senators Bill Nelson and Bob Graham were both active in 4-H growing up.
The culmination of the week was the announcement of the coveted Chris Allen Awards. The 4-H legislators chosen for the awards were Lily Lissia (Collier County), Robert Mack (Levy County) and Jennifer Williams (Gulf County). The 4-H lobbyists chosen were Amanda Day (Sarasota), Andrew Glazier (Collier County), and Heidi Krumbine (Collier County). The reporter selected for the award was Crystal Carson (Orange County).
Florida 4-H Legislature youth attendees were from Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Duval, Escambia, Gulf, Hendry, Hernando, Hillsborough, Holmes, Lake, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, Suwannee, Taylor, Volusia, and Washington counties.
For more information about Florida 4-H visit http://4h.ifas.ufl.edu/
-30-
0
