"What is a Delegate" By: Madison Powers

What is a delegate? How are they different from senators? To answer these questions, I interviewed a young delegate to hear what his opinion was.

The delegate I interviewed was Jeffrey Hunsaker who is a Junior at Eastside HIgh school. He had a lot to say about being a delegate. When asked what the job of a delegate is he said, ¨Our job as delegates is to participate in debates during committee and chambers, pass legislation and bills, and voice their opinion.” Regarding the delegates’ schedule, Hunsaker said, “It´s busy enough that you never have a break¨ he mentions. He said the amount of time spent in committee is about 60 to 70 minutes to represent the days spent in committee during General Assembly. Chambers usually last for 2 hours each time they meet.

We then began to speak on the topic of how sessions operate. He explained the actions taken from when the sessions begin to the closing. ¨Speaker of the house opens session, then the clerk calls attendance,” he explains. He then said ¨we… begin the calendar which follows every bill with time for discussion and debate, then the speaker calls that chambers come to order.¨ He goes on to say how the process of voting on a bill works when he says ¨ the house speaker reads over the amendment that the bill patron has proposed once again and we vote on the bill by ‘yays’ and ‘nays.’"

We wrapped up the interview by hearing his opinion on some of the bills he has seen during chambers. ¨We had one that I believe passed speaking upon the topic of vaccines and how everyone should have to take one unless they are not able due to their religion,” he said. Hunsaker also said, ¨One of the more interesting bills I heard suggested that we should legalize the act of running pedestrians over if they are violently protesting on the highway.¨ As we concluded the interview I asked what he enjoyed most about being a delegate and he responded with ¨being able to sit in chambers and listen to and participate in debate.”