Eastern Indiana Model Legislature has concluded its 51st year after meeting in Indiana General Assembly’s chambers in Indianapolis on Sept. 25.
Richmond Jaycees started the program in 1973. Current participating schools are Centerville, Hagerstown, Northeastern, Union County and Winchester.
Each school has 30 students represented with a total of 100 students in the House of Representatives and 50 students in the Senate.
Students choose a political party they want to be affiliated with or declare themselves as independent.
Students write bills, try to get those bills out of committee, discuss them in front of the two houses and then hope the governor will sign their bill.
This year, Gov. Jayden Cornett of Centerville and Lt. Gov. Emily Cockerill of Winchester signed 17 bills. The other two top leadership positions were Speaker of the House Cameron Stiggleman (Centerville) and Senate President Pro-Tempore Lily Johnson (Union County).
Wayne County’s honorees
Centerville: Governor Jayden Cornett; Speaker of the House Cameron Stiggleman; Parliamentarian Abram Jarvis; Senate Outstanding Republican Hudson Todd (assistant floor leader); House Republican Assistant Floor Leader Andrew Purcell; House Democrat Floor Leader Riley Duke; Senate Democrat Floor Leader Sophia Soper
Hagerstown: House Outstanding Democrat Zoe Meek (caucus chairperson); House Republican Floor Leader Griffin Doerstler; Senate Republican Assistant Caucus Chairperson Emily Hill; Senate Democrat Assistant Floor Leader Cheyanne Beasley
Northeastern: Senate Outstanding Democrat Willow Warren; House Republican Whip Quinten Shepherd; House Democrat Assistant Floor Leader Story Pike; Senate Democrat Caucus Chairperson Ellie Warren
House committee chairs: Centerville: Andrew Purcell, Welfare; Riley Duke, Public Health. Hagerstown: Zoe Meek, Agriculture
House outstanding committee members: Centerville: Ben Anderson, Judiciary; Abram Jarvis, Ways and Means; Riley Duke, Public Health. Northeastern: Story Pike, Labor and Education.
Senate committee chairs: Centerville: Hudson Todd, Judiciary. Hagerstown: Emily Hill, Finance; Kalynn Harrison, Education.
Senate outstanding committee members: Centerville: Lindy Skinner, Finance. Hagerstown: Cheyanne Beasley, Judiciary. Northeastern: Willow Warren, Education.
What bills did students write, approve?
Here are the bills signed by this year’s Eastern Indiana Model Legislature’s governor, followed by their authors and the schools they attend.
1. Enforce the recording of attendance and educational records of accredited home-schools or homebound instruction by the Indiana Department of Education. Ellie Warren — Northeastern
2. Renegotiate the requirements for the science of reading training for PK-6 education. Anna Nevels — Centerville
3. Allow students to access personal cellphones, overturning bill 185 banning cell phones in the classroom. Students must be passing 75% of their classes and cannot use phones during class. John Wallace and Willow Warren — Northeastern
4. Public schools to offer a free drivers’ ed class. Brylei Hatfield — Northeastern
5. Ensure patient safety and quality care through safe staffing ratios in all hospitals. Madison Gransbury and Lucas Welty — Union County
6. Allow students to defend themselves if in danger from another student at school. Story Anne Pike — Northeastern
7. Give teenagers ages 15-17 autonomy in decision making for custody cases. Dezirae Study — Hagerstown
8. Require all schools to have at least two EpiPens in each school building. Olivia Harris — Northeastern
9. Allow honorably discharged veterans of the United States military to rescue cats from kill shelters in Indiana without being required to pay an adoption fee. Audrielle Black and Loralei McKendree — Hagerstown
10. Require all vehicles to stop at all marked crosswalks. Emily Cockerill — Winchester
11. Provide universal free school meals to Indiana public schools regardless of income with state funds. Jack Duke — Centerville
12. Mandate the state to allow governed net metering. Hudson Todd — Centerville
13. Add push button door openers on all schools in Indiana. Mia Ashley — Winchester
14. Require all of Indiana’s licensed drivers to retake the driver’s exam at age 65. Cohen Current — Centerville
15. Prohibit the practice of onychectomy (declawing) cats in Indiana. Dalton Epley — Winchester
16. Enforce stricter gun safety laws in Indiana. Lydia Golden — Centerville
17. Raise the hourly wage for restaurant servers to $4.50. Hannah Rue — Hagerstown
A version of this article appeared in the October 23 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.