Youth Legislative Assembly
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Youth Legislative Assembly(YLA) is a mock legislative session where high school students voice their opinions and vote on issues concerning local, state and national government. It is run through the North Carolina Youth Advocacy and Involvement Office(YAIO).
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[edit] History
The first Youth Legislative Assembly was held in 1970. All bills submitted to session at YLA are sent on to the North Carolina General Assembly in a report for consideration. Several bills from YLA have become North Carolina law, such as the adoption of Graduated Licensing and mandatory wearing a helmet for motorcyclists.
[edit] Mission Statement
The N.C. Youth Legislative Assembly provides a mock legislative environment for North Carolina high school students for the purpose to impart them with leadership, debate, and political knowledge and skills. Youth Legislative Assembly is committed to building friendships among students across the entire spectrum of the North Carolina population.
Adopted September 10, 2005, for YLA 2006
[edit] Session
The Youth Legislative Assembly session is held in Raleigh, NC. YLA lasts over a 3 day period in the spring time, beginning on a Friday and convening on a Sunday. It is patterned after the North Carolina General Assembly. Recently session has been held in the Legislative Office Building in downtown Raleigh.
[edit] Committees
YLA is split into 10 different committees, each proposing a bill focusing on their topic. Each committee is headed by a chair or multiple co-chairs who write the initial bill. Each committee then edits and votes on the bill before presenting in session. The committees are Children and Family, Civil Rights, Education, Environment, Health Affairs, Human Sexuality, Judiciary, Science and Technology, Substance Abuse, and Youth Affairs.
[edit] Leadership Team
The Leadership Team consists of the Tri-Speakers, Chairs, and Clerks. They meet at the beginning of the school year, usually with the first meeting in September.
[edit] Tri-Speakers
Tri-speakers run the session as well as guide The Leadership Team in preparing for the assembly. Each Tri-speaker is elected by the body of the assembly.
[edit] Chairs
The Chairs are assigned to a committee for which they write a bill. During session the Chairs guide the delegates within their committee in debating as well as teaching them the legislative process. Chairs are chosen and assigned a committee by the Tri-speakers.
[edit] Clerks
Clerks document times, amendments, and voting results.
[edit] General Assembly
The General Assembly is the actual debate and voting on the bills. Robert's Rules of Order and Parliamentary procedure are used during the general assembly to keep order.
[edit] Presentation of Bills
Bills are debated in alphabetical order by those voted in by their committee. If a committee votes against their own bill before general assembly, that bill will be presented last.
[edit] Debate
Each debate on a bill begins with 3 blocks of pro-debate for 3 minutes each and 3 blocks of con-debate for 3 minutes each. When debating there are 2 podiums, each with 5 colored cards. Each card holds a certain precedence in debate.
[edit] Blue Card
The Blue card has the highest precedence in debate. It is used to point out when any delegate, chair, or tri-speaker has done something which does not follow Robert's Rules of Order or Parliamentary procedure. The Tri-speaker ruling over the bill will decide if the card is out of order or not and if any action should be taken.
[edit] White Card
The White card holds the second highest precedence in debate. It has two uses: Questions and Statements. A question can be directed at any member of the body to clarify a point or get more information. A statement must be a neutral statement, either correcting wrong information or clarifying information.
[edit] Yellow Card
The Yellow card has equal precedence with the Red and Green cards. This card is used to propose amendments to the bill or other amendments.
[edit] Green Card
The Green card has equal precedence with the Yellow and Red cards. This card is used for Pro-debate.
[edit] Red Card
The Red card has equal precedence with the Yellow and Green cards. This card is used for Con-debate.
[edit] Amendments
An amendment is proposed using the yellow card during debate. To submit an amendment the delegate or chair must write it out in triplicate. There are two types of amendments; friendly and hostile. A friendly amendment must be accepted by the author(s) of the bill and must not change the purpose of the bill. A hostile amendment will go into debate once proposed and will be treated as a bill. If the hostile amendment is passed then the bill will be considered new and debate will restart on the bill. If the hostile amendment is not passed the debate on the bill will resume where it was left off.
[edit] Awards
Multiple awards are given out during YLA to Delegates, Chairs, and Tri-speakers.
[edit] Gibbs Award
The Gibbs Awards, named for Jimmy Gibbs, a 1980 YLA Tri-Speaker, is given each year to the delegate from each committee who added the most to the discussion by asking questions, helping to rewrite bills and being creative and inspiring.
[edit] Richard White Leadership Award
The Richard White Leadership Award, named after 1996 YLA Tri-Speaker Richard White, is given to the senior-ranking members of the YLA Leadership Team who demonstrate strong leadership and organizational skills.
[edit] Sud-Freemark Award of Service
The Sud-Freemark Award of Service is named for Ishani Sud and Yonni Freemark. Ishani Sud, who first attended YLA as an 8th grader, served as a leadership team member in grades 9-12 and was a Tri-Speaker in 2003 and 2004. Yonni Freemark, who also attended his first YLA in the 8th grade, served on the leadership team for four years and as Tri-Speaker for 2004. Yonni developed the first website for YLA as well as designed a recruitment brochure and other program documents. This award is given to a member of the Leadership Team that has participated in YLA for four years with three of those years having served as Co-Chair or Tri- Speaker on the Leadership Team.
[edit] Jaime and Josh DeBottis Outstanding Service Award
The Jamie and Josh DeBottis Outstanding Service Award is named for a brother and sister whose combined dedication made a mark on YLA. Jaime DeBottis served on the Leadership Team for two years and as Tri-Speaker for one year. Josh DeBottis served on the Leadership Team for three years, two as a Co-Chair and as a 2005 Tri-Speaker.
[edit] Past TriSpeakers
YLA 2006-2007
James Pope
Shivani Sud
Sarah Core
YLA 2005-2006
Katie Hales
Bethany Hill
Quincy O'Neal
YLA 2004-2005
Josh DeBottis
Katie Hales
Jamie Jones
YLA 2003-2004
Ishani Sud
Yanni Freemark
James Kotecki
YLA 2001-2002
Ishani Sud
Luke Farley
Willie Gray Harris III
