Some Palisades High School students believe they know how to make the roads of California safer, and they are ready to take their ideas to Sacramento.
The Palisades-Malibu YMCA Youth and Government program hosted a “Bill Hearing Night” on Dec. 12 at the Aldersgate Retreat Center. In front of parents and an expert panel, students debated two bills that will be presented during a week-long conference in Sacramento in February.
They will be among the thousands of students from across the state who will take over the Senate and Assembly Chambers for the model legislature program.
This year, the Palisades group decided to tackle the issues of driving tests and lane splitting by motorcycles.
The first resolution would include freeway driving and parallel parking on California driving tests. With lead advisor Ashley Russell making sure everyone followed the proper parliamentary procedure, the students argued the pros and cons of each bill.
“If this bill is passed, the roads of California will be safer by increasing the complexity of this driving test,” sophomore Christian Fong, the bill’s sponsor, said. “Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers across the United States, especially in California.”
Those opposed to the bill said adding to the test would create more stress for students and would cause problems for the Department of Motor Vehicles. Some DMV locations are not near freeways, and taking the time to drive to one could cause even more delays at the DMV office. Proponents said any extra cost to the state would be offset by a reduction in auto accidents.
After each debate, parents were asked to provide written feedback and suggestions for making the arguments stronger.
“I think it’s a little stressful but also exciting. It’s a lot of fun learning about the political process,” Fong said.
The students came up with the ideas for the bills based on their own experiences as young drivers. Russell said the students debated four bills before selecting two to take to Sacramento.
Russell said the program builds confidence. Last year, 11 girls and no boys participated in the program, and the participants were hesitant to challenge each other.
“A lot of them were very shy,” Russell said. “Now, they’re willing to speak up and ask questions.”
Russell said the program is educational but also fun for students because they can meet peers from across the state. Approximately 3,000 students from California attended the last conference.
“I do this program because I love the rush that I get when I give a speech, or I love the feeling that I have when I know that I offered a helping hand to the citizens of California,” said Yassi Badri, student president of the Palisades Youth and Government Program.
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