Local Students Attend Legislative Session

The following article appeared in Wednesday, May 18, 2005 edition of the St. Albans Messenger - Students with Representative Carolyn Branagan and Senator Don Collins were identified in the newspaper, however I did not identify them here on the Internet:

A group of BFA Fairfax students attended the legislative session on Thursday, April 28. They had the opportunity to attend committee hearings, meet with legislators, attend the governor's weekly press conference and watch the Senate in action.

In preparation, these students had been tracking a bill. They were already aware of the process by which a bill becomes law, as well as the many methods by which a bill could die. They were familiar with the specific bill they were tracking: it's components, where it was in the legislative process, who its sponsors were, and the likelihood of it becoming law this term. They came equipped with hearing schedules, legislators to contact, and tasks related to the architecture of the building. Senator Don Collins and Representative Carolyn Branagan met them when they entered the State House and gave a brief introduction of the major issues and activities scheduled by the legislature that day. The students were then able to choose activities that best met their needs and interests.

Senator Sara Kittell and Representative Kevin Andres (Milton) helped students navigate around the building and showed them how to locate a legislator who was knowledgeable about a particular issue. Senator Howrigan, Senator Collins, Representatives Richard Howrigan and Doran Metzger met with individual students during the day.