Five King County 4-H members, including Federal Way resident Allison DeBoer, joined more than 200 teens from around Washington state for the WSU 4-H Know Your Government (KYG) Conference over President’s Day weekend.
This annual conference connects youth with our political and governmental process by rotating the focus on the legislative, executive and judicial branches and the influence of media. This year’s legislative topic was Lobbying for Change: How a Bill Becomes a Law.
Prior to the conference, the teens worked in county delegations to learn how a bill becomes a law, create a bill related to an issue of their choice and prepare a case for enacting their bill. The King County 4-H members chose House Bill 1830 related to penalties for harming dog guides, service animals and on-duty search and rescue dogs.
During the conference, the bills were brought together, where the teen delegates became lobbyists to pass their county bill via mock Senate and House sessions. Although their bill did not pass, they gained appreciation for work required to turn an idea into a law while having fun and making new friends from across the state.
Visit 4h.wsu.edu or call (206) 205-3100 or (206) 205-3154 for more information about 4-H opportunities and the 2015 KYG conference, which will examine politics and the media.
