By Matt Wiley
There are literally thousands of laws in the state of Florida. However, it’s not unusual to come across a situation in everyday life that seems like it should be against the law, or vice-versa. For that reason, one local elected representative is holding a contest for New Tampa’s students to submit their ideas for new bills, one of which could get the chance to receive the governor’s signature.
Dist. 63 State Rep. Shawn Harrison (R-New Tampa) is giving students from all 12 of our area’s schools the opportunity to submit their best idea for a new law. The contest, which also allows for submissions from University of South Florida (USF) students (whose main Tampa campus is just south of Tampa Palms on Bruce B. Downs [BBD] Blvd. and E. Fletcher Ave.), provides a chance for one student to not only have his or her idea turned into a bill, but also the chance to learn more about the legislative process. The contest is open to students throughout District 63, which also includes parts of Carrollwood, Lutz and what is known as the University area. Submissions will be accepted until Friday, December 18.
The winning idea will be drafted into a bill that Harrison says he will sponsor during the 2016 Legislative Session, which will begin on January 12, 2016. The winner and his or her family also will get to travel to Tallahassee to help represent the bill.
“Each House member gets to file six bills per session,” Harrison explains. “(My staff) and I were starting to think about what our bills are going to be for this upcoming session and I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be neat to engage our school kids in the District in the bill-making process?’”
Harrison says that he’s sent a letter out to the principal of each public school in his District, asking them to spread the word to their government and social studies classes. After the deadline, Harrison says that he and his staff will go through the entries, judge them and file the winner as one of his six bills in January.
“Hopefully, (the student’s bill) will make it’s way through the (law-making) process and have a good shot of passing,” Harrison says, adding that he doesn’t recall a bill contest being done in our area in the recent past, but doesn’t rule out the possibility.
“I’m really looking forward to reading some of the entries,” Harrison says proudly. “I’m sure some of them are going to be interesting.
He adds that he’s ready to see some outlandish ideas, but jokes that, “Crazy bills are filed all the time in Tallahassee.”
Harrison says he expects to see some bills related to school testing, curriculum issues (adding or removing of certain subjects), school year beginning and ending dates and other school-related issues. He adds that he figures the college-aged kids will probably submit ideas about marijuana regulations or lowering the drinking age, but also ideas related to student loans.
Once the winner is chosen, the real work begins.
The idea, Harrison says, is to work the bill so that it gets at least one committee hearing, which he says can sometimes be tough.
“That would allow the student the opportunity to come to Tallahassee and help me argue it,” Harrison says. “They would have a chance to speak at the podium (in committee) and argue why they think their bill (should) be passed into law.”
Harrison says that he and his staff still are working out the details for travel arrangements for the winning student, should the student’s bill make it into committee, adding that the current focus is gathering as many entries as possible and choosing the right one to submit.
“I thought (the contest would) be fun and a great way for kids who are interested in government to (actually) be a part of it (the process),” Harrison says.
Students looking for more information and the form to submit their idea should visit ShawnHarrison.com.
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