Youth and Government Update

On Nov. 11-13, eight Priory students participated in Missouri Youth and Government (MOYAG) in Jefferson City. MOYAG is a yearly conference in which students participate in mock government. The conference is divided into three areas: legislative, judicial, and lastly media. Priory students historically and this year participated in the legislative session where we wrote and debated legislation to be changed in the Revised Missouri Statutes (RSMO). Priory students wrote bills on a range of topics from repealing mandated testing in Missouri public schools to requiring restaurants to disclose all allergens on their menus. 

Three Priory student’s bills passed their respective chambers. Cole Polley’s bill banning insensitive mascots and Nick Parafiniuk’s bill on increasing the boating age in Missouri both passed the Senate chamber, but were not debated in the House. Ben Potter’s bill on Missouri open container laws however was passed in both chambers and Governor Ben Clampitt from the Mexico YMCA delegation signed the bill into “YAG Law.”

Club President, Cole Polley says, “For me, YAG was a wonderful experience of the Missouri legislative system as well as an opportunity to meet numerous people from across the St. Louis area and the entirety of Missouri.” 

Thank you to Mr. Orf (club moderator) and Dr. Davis for dedicating the time to make this experience possible!