Snohomish High students bring ideas to the House and Senate

January 31, 2008

OLYMPIA -- Students at Snohomish High School don't just study democracy. Every year, they research problems, draft legislation and drive down to Olympia to meet with lawmakers and pitch their ideas. 

"Snohomish is the only high school in the state that does this," said Rep. Hans Dunshee (D-Snohomish). "This isn't just a great learning experience for these kids. They take it seriously, do their research and come up with good ideas. I know, because I sponsored one of their bills and the governor signed it into law."

Snohomish students came to Olympia for years to push Courtney's Law, named after a classmate killed in a low-speed crash when heavy speakers -- unsecured -- slammed into her. The law requires such speakers to be bolted down.

"Meeting with our local students was inspiring," said Rep. Liz Loomis (D-Snohomish). "When they're excited about solving a tough problem, that energy is contagious.  I enjoyed listening to their presentations and talking to them about how to solve the problems facing our families."

Student ideas

Voting Day
Students pitching this bill said only 44 percent of eligible citizens vote in mid-term elections, much lower than most other democratic nations. If you really want more people to vote, make it a state holiday. Give everybody the day off. (Sean Coffman, Colin Cole and Nick Clark)

Hit and Run Drivers
This bill developed from the personal experience of a cousin to one of the groups’ members, Daniele Bergquist. The students want to change hit-and-runs that result in serious injury from a Class C felony to a Class B felony, which would make penalties tougher. (Daniele Bergquist, Melinda Murphy and Erin Flotte)

Mandatory Recycling in Schools
Require recycling bins in all of Washington States public schools.
The goal of this bill is twofold: first, to cut the amount of waste schools send to landfills, and second, to inspire students to take the habit home with them to protect the environment. (Shelby Huff and Carrie Rohwer)

School Bus Seatbelts
Why is it a good idea for everyone to wear seatbelts in cars, while leaving school kids unbuckled on the school bus? This bill seeks to prevent injuries and deaths from school bus crashes. Five other states require seatbelts in school busses. (Kate Browning and Allison Burns) 

Speech Classes
Students said many colleges and universities have incorporated speech classes into their core curriculum in response to speech anxiety and a lack of speaking practice posing a major barrier to student success. Jobs today require good speaking and presentation skills -- and if you don't have good speaking skills, you may not get past the job interview. (Hannah Thompson-Garner)

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