A Student Publication of Illinois YMCA Youth & Government
By: Elizabeth Arias and Lea Bartos After seeing all the “incredible debate in the committee rooms, the legislators advocating for their bills, and the beauty of the capitol building,” Aayush Gupta was inspired to...
By: Kate Garton The first mass shooting in the United States took place on September 6th, 1949; the shooter was a WWII veteran armed with a 9mm pistol. Since then, mass shootings have become...
By: Gabi Mintrup Hard work pays off! On the afternoon of March 20, 2021, Governor David signed his very first bill into law. H-B-13, written by Sen. Maddie DeGraff and Rep. Leland Pan of...
By: Ellie Ford Amy Pang, a lobbyist from Neuqua Valley, intends to begin charging for plastics with bill SC-O-02. This bill would add a $0.08 tax to every plastic bag used at a checkout. ...
By: Ellie Ford As technology became essential this year, lobbyists encountered the reality of a virtual world and what it would mean for Youth and Government. Lobbyists Areej Khan, Shruti Patel, Nawaal Butt, and...
By: Olivija Vasiliauskas In the Age of Information, the world runs on an invisible currency: data. This new industry has caused many parents to reassess how they can best protect their children from the...
By: Ellie Ford Georgia Shwaiko, a Carmel Catholic High School legislator, is proposing bill H-B-08 to decriminalize drug use, although the sale and manufacturing of drugs would remain illegal. Those caught with illicit substances...
By: Elizabeth Arias According to The New York Times, at least 50 people have been seriously injured or, in some cases, killed by the permitted use of rubber bullets because they were considered to...
On March 19, 2021, Governor David sent a statement to the Observer that sought to clarify his goals for the 2021 Springfield session. The statement reads as follows: Dearest Colleagues: I feel that in...
by: Kenzi Schmidt According to the Census Bureau, 27.5 million people in the United States live without health insurance. That’s about 8.5% of the population. These numbers may seem small on a larger scale,...
