Each week during session, the State Legislature welcomes approximately 50 students between the ages of 14 and 16 to serve in either the House of Representatives or Senate as legislative pages. Lorissa Williams of Oak Harbor, sponsored by Sen. Haugen, D-Camano Island, recently served as a senate page for one week in Olympia.

Lorissa, daughter of Earl Williams and Dawn Stewart, attends North Whidbey Middle School and plans on becoming an archeologist. She enjoys choir, skateboarding, and drawing her favorite anime characters.

“I’m surprised the security guards are so nice,” Williams said.

“One will even give you candy if you do the ‘page pose’,” she said acting out the position with her hands on her blazer.

Pages certainly meet their fair share of people as they run around the Capitol Campus delivering packages, relaying messages and assisting staff.

They also spend two hours each day in the Page School keeping a daily journal, listening to an introductory course on the legislative process, learning legislative terminology, and writing and debating their own bills.

Pages have the opportunity to meet other students from all around the state and play an active role at the capitol while learning about the legislature, its process, and its participants.

Bailey seeks pages

Rep. Bailey, R-Oak Harbor, is accepting applications for students to participate in the House Page program during the 2005 legislative session.

“For nearly 115 years, young people from throughout Washington have come to Olympia to serve as pages for the House of Representatives,” Bailey said.

“This is a wonderful educational opportunity for students to participate and learn about our process of making laws at the Capitol,” she said. “It’s a great honor and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve as a page in the Legislature.”

Pages’ duties are varied. They range from ceremonial tasks such as presenting flags to operational chores like distributing amendments during legislative sessions.

To serve as a page for the House of Representatives, a student must: Have permission from a parent or guardian; Have permission from school; Be sponsored by a current member of the House of Representatives; Be at least 14 years of age but not yet 17.

Pages are responsible for their own housing and transportation arrangements. However, pages often live during the week with host families in Olympia. Upon acceptance, the House of Representatives will provide a list of available private housing. Pages are also paid $35 for each day worked.

Those interested in serving as a legislative page may call Rep. Bailey’s office in Olympia at (360) 786-7914 or obtain a page application online at: http://www1.leg.wa.gov/House/

PageInternProgram.