Hill seeks local students to join him in Olympia as Senate pages

Sen. Andy Hill, a Redmond resident who represents the 45th District, invites area students ages 14 to 16 to apply to become Senate pages during the current legislative session, which runs through late April in Olympia.

“Being a Senate page offers an up-close look at how government works,” Hill said. “Pages learn about how a bill becomes a law, then they see it as it happens. For any student interested in government or the political process, being a Senate page is a one-of-a-kind experience.”

Students serving as Senate pages are sponsored by senators. They spend a week in Olympia as paid employees, working a regular business day, delivering messages, handing out documents on the floor, and running other errands. They also attend Page School for two hours during the workday, where they learn important concepts about civics and government.

“The highlight of the week is when they write and present their own bills and role-play as legislators in a mock committee hearing.” Hill said. “In fact, many people working here today got their first look at government as a student page.”

Students who travel from distant parts of the state can get private housing through host families living in the Olympia area. Hill urges interested students to apply for the page program as soon as possible because the number of pages will be limited.

To find out more about the page program or apply to be a page sponsored by Hill, go to leg.wa.gov/Senate/Administration/PageProgram.

Students may download an application from the site, fill it out and send it to Hill’s Olympia office: 203 Newhouse Building, P.O. Box 40445, Olympia, WA 98504-0445.