I recently attended Girl’s Day at the State House sponsored by the Maine Women’s Policy Center. This was an opportunity for eighth grade girls in Maine to learn about the role that women play in the government. I never realized how interesting government and government functions could be.

The day started with speeches given by the executive director of The Maine Women’s Policy Center, Sarah Standiford and John Baldacci, our governor. Randomly selected girls were then ushered into the room, where the House meets to vote on laws, to learn first hand about paging. The girls would stand in front of the house members intently watching the board with numbers that corresponded with seats in the House. When the light went on a ‘page’ went to the seat retrieved the message and brought it to the number seat which it was addressed to. This is a way for House members to communicate.

While some girls were paging, the others were at a mock press conference where they learned what representatives go through to make bills legal. The press conference was followed by a mock public hearing. This is a chance for ordinary citizens for, against or neither to have a say in the legislature. The girls used the example L.D. 414, “An Act to Decrease Cervical Cancer in Maine Girls.” We were later allowed to vote either yea or nay in the actual House where representatives vote. The result was forty-seven yeas and 70 nays. Almost everyone agreed that the act needed amending, or correcting.

We were also given an opportunity to job shadow one of the representatives. I got to meet Joan Nass, a representative from Acton. My group, Nass and I sat in on a public hearing for her husband’s, Richard Nass, idea on how to lower taxes. Then Joan Nass took us on a grand tour of the major parts of the State House building. The halls were crowded with girls in Girl’s Day t-shirts with the catchy slogan “Girls rock the House and the Senate.” She told us that it’s important when voting to use your brain and not your heart, that voting on impulse can lead to a bad decision.

To Wrap things up the girls gathered in the house to vote as I said earlier and to meet with Senate President Beth Edward’s and Speaker of the House Glen Cummings. I left the State House with tons of information and a new outlook on government. “Be brief, be brilliant and be gone.” – Beth Edward’s, Referring to speeches.