Washington House Democrats

Bellingham student learns about state government as legislative page for Rep. Linville

May 2, 2007

OLYMPIA —Forrest Penny-Brown, a local middle school student from Bellingham, served as a legislative page for state Rep. Kelli Linville (D-Bellingham) from April 16 to April 20.

Forrest, 14, is the son of Jackie Brown and Bob Penny. He is an eighth-grade student at Whatcom Middle School.

“I am happy to have shared a little piece of the legislative process with Forrest,” said Linville. “My hope is that young people like him, who serve as pages in Olympia, stay involved and interested in politics.”

Being a page is an excellent and easy way for students to learn about democracy as they visit the state Legislature in Olympia and see it first-hand.

Pages spend one week in Olympia, with housing and a meal allowance provided. To serve as a page, a student must:

• Be at least 14 years old but not yet 17
• Have permission from their school and from their parents or legal guardian
• Be sponsored by a member of the House or Senate

Students or parents interested in the page program for the 2008 session should contact Rep. Linville’s office.

For more information on the page program: (360) 786-7573

Page program website: http://www.leg.wa.gov/House/PageInternProgram/  

Contact (Bellingham office until January 2008):

Rep. Kelli Linville: 360.738.6177, e-mail: Linville.Kelli@leg.wa.gov , http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/members/linville/ 

Print-quality Photo: Forrest Penny-Brown with State Rep. Kelli Linville:

http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/members/linville/20070418_page_ForrestPenny-Brown.jpg