Chambana Sun

Students from across state Sen. Jason Barickman’s district got a chance to experience a mock lawmaking session during a recent Youth Advisory Council (YAC) session.

The meeting was at the Elks Lodge in Pontiac on Friday and it elicited positive feedback from the youngsters and gave Barickman (R-Bloomington) the opportunity to introduce them to the legislative process.

“We welcomed dozens of students from nearly 20 different high schools in the 53rd District to try their hand at the lawmaking process during the fall Youth Advisory Council,” Barickman posted on Facebook this week. “This event gives the students a chance to discuss and debate ideas and get immediate feedback from their peers. It is a positive growing environment.” 

Students said they enjoyed the session.

“I think it’s really interesting, I’ve never been to something like this,” Normal West student Abigail Morse said in a release put out by Barickman’s office. “Usually, I stay away from politics because I don’t want to get in fights and arguments, but this has been a different experience, and I probably won’t scare away from politics anymore.”  

Another student agreed.

“I think it’s been really good, it’s been really informative, and it’s been different than anything I’ve ever been to,” said Emma Rayls, a student at Hoopeston High School. “I’ve been to conventions, and they’ve had speakers, but they’ve never had speakers that were politicians speaking different mindsets, and they’ve never had interactions with the audience that share different opinions.”

Barickman hosted a YAC in the spring, too.

“Every year, I get inspired by the fact that, you know, these are some of the future leaders of our communities, and our state, and our country and and I encourage them to act upon that,” he said after the spring gathering. “If you listen to them today, they're very mature. Their ideas are very well thought, they're super informed. You can tell that they're not thinking of issues on a first impression. They do their homework, and that should give us all hope.” 

Barickman was elected to the Illinois Senate in 2012. His Senate biography says he attended Illinois State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science.