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By Dyllan Tipton
During my junior year of high school in January 2021, I was one of five students selected to participate in the Kentucky House of Representatives page program under the leadership of Chief Clerk Melissa Bybee-Fields. The program is designed to provide high school juniors and seniors with an opportunity to learn more about state government and the legislative process..jpg)
This legislative session during which I served as a page was anything but typical, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing guidelines, protective plastic screening, and masks were required for all individuals present in the chamber. Despite these challenges, the 30-day legislative session passed by quickly, with each day typically lasting between one and two hours, followed by a similar procedure. The veto-override days on Day 29 and 30 were particularly long, extending into the late evening hours.
As a page, I, along with other House staff, was required to arrive one hour before the convening of the chamber. Our duties included distributing daily journals for the representatives, copying and uploading legislative materials, and being ready to go once the session started for the day. Throughout the session, we were seated at the front of the chamber, waiting to be called upon by the chief clerk, representatives, or other clerk staff.
Once the session started, pages would run various errands, such as delivering messages from the chief clerk to a representative or fetching a roll call sheet after an important vote had taken place on a bill. These tasks required us to be efficient and quick, as time was often of the essence. Halfway through my time as a page, I was given a significant responsibility by the chief clerk. I was tasked with running house bills throughout the capital to be enrolled, engrossed, and sent to the governor or secretary of state. This responsibility required me to be a part of a team located in "the attic," or the fourth floor of the Capitol, where we prepared the bills and noted the date of their passage and total vote count.
To enroll the bills, I had to obtain the signature of the Speaker of the House and the Senate President, to finally deliver to the Governor or Secretary of State, depending on whether the bill was veto-overridden or not. Running between the chambers of the Capitol to ensure that all bills were delivered on time was something that I particularly enjoyed, and I have fond memories of late-night runs through the halls of the Capitol to complete this task.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, participating in the Kentucky House of Representatives page program was an invaluable experience. It gave me a unique opportunity to learn more about state government and the legislative process, as well as develop important skills such as communication and teamwork. I would eagerly return for the 2022 legislative session, which was much longer because it was considered a budget year and have just as much fun as I did during my previous experience.
During my junior year of high school in January 2021, I was one of five students selected to participate in the Kentucky House of Representatives page program under the leadership of Chief Clerk Melissa Bybee-Fields. The program is designed to provide high school juniors and seniors with an opportunity to learn more about state government and the legislative process.
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This legislative session during which I served as a page was anything but typical, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing guidelines, protective plastic screening, and masks were required for all individuals present in the chamber. Despite these challenges, the 30-day legislative session passed by quickly, with each day typically lasting between one and two hours, followed by a similar procedure. The veto-override days on Day 29 and 30 were particularly long, extending into the late evening hours.
As a page, I, along with other House staff, was required to arrive one hour before the convening of the chamber. Our duties included distributing daily journals for the representatives, copying and uploading legislative materials, and being ready to go once the session started for the day. Throughout the session, we were seated at the front of the chamber, waiting to be called upon by the chief clerk, representatives, or other clerk staff.
Once the session started, pages would run various errands, such as delivering messages from the chief clerk to a representative or fetching a roll call sheet after an important vote had taken place on a bill. These tasks required us to be efficient and quick, as time was often of the essence. Halfway through my time as a page, I was given a significant responsibility by the chief clerk. I was tasked with running house bills throughout the capital to be enrolled, engrossed, and sent to the governor or secretary of state. This responsibility required me to be a part of a team located in "the attic," or the fourth floor of the Capitol, where we prepared the bills and noted the date of their passage and total vote count.
To enroll the bills, I had to obtain the signature of the Speaker of the House and the Senate President, to finally deliver to the Governor or Secretary of State, depending on whether the bill was veto-overridden or not. Running between the chambers of the Capitol to ensure that all bills were delivered on time was something that I particularly enjoyed, and I have fond memories of late-night runs through the halls of the Capitol to complete this task.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, participating in the Kentucky House of Representatives page program was an invaluable experience. It gave me a unique opportunity to learn more about state government and the legislative process, as well as develop important skills such as communication and teamwork. I would eagerly return for the 2022 legislative session, which was much longer because it was considered a budget year and have just as much fun as I did during my previous experience.
Dyllan Tipton is a McConnell Scholar in the class of 2026. He is studying political science at the University of Louisville.