The Iowa Youth Congress needs your support. Please join the Dream Forward Donor Team and make a financial contribution in support of tomorrow’s future. Make your contribution to the Iowa Division of Latino Affairs in support of the Iowa Youth Congress.The Iowa Youth Congress is a reflection of Iowa’s future. In the next 25 years,
nearly 1 in 5 Iowans will be mostly Latino, African-American, Asian-Pacific Islander and Bosnian.Iowa student s representatives, elected from 48 high schools met December first and second, 2006, in Des Moines. They held their first daylong session in the Iowa House Chamber.Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal and House Speaker Pat Murphy addressed the Youth Congress during the morning opening session.Once called to order the Youth Congress went to work on their agenda and elected their first president, Sukriti Nayar and Patrick Trizila as their Vice President.
They then ordered and debated the issues brought in from their five regional meetings. In the late afternoon the youth Congress moved to vote on which legislative proposals to present to the 82nd Iowa General Assembly.
The Iowa Youth Congress proposed two bills to the 82nd General Assembly. One was introduced in the Senate would raise the high school drop out age from 16 to 17 years of age and the Iowa Opportunities Workforce Act, formerly known as the Dream Act, which was introduced in the House and Senate. On February 28th, 2007, eighteen members from the Polk County area of the Iowa Youth Congress visited the Capitol to visit with legislatures in support of these issues. Unfortunately, these issues did not make it out of subcommittee. “We’re hoping this is a way for students to talk about issues that are important to them, while also learning about the legislative process,” project manager Melissa Esquivel said.
For more information, please contact the project manager, Melissa Esquivel at [email protected] or at (515) 281-7015.