April 5, 2006

Officials to face questions from students on teens, tougher driving laws on Thursday, April 6

Ten top high school students from across California will become reporters for a day as they conduct a press conference with state officials on teens and tougher driving laws on Thursday, April 6 at 11 a.m. in room 126 in the Capitol.

The press conference is part of the day-long Student Legislative Summit on teens and driving sponsored by the LegiSchool Project, a civic education project between the Center for California Studies at Sacramento State and the State Legislature. The event is designed to familiarize students with the legislative process and to offer a forum for young people to share their thoughts and concerns on public policies that may impact them.

Students will question Assemblyman John Benoit (R-Palm Desert), a former California Highway Patrol commander who sits on the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Transportation, and Paula LaBrie, who is legislative counsel on government affairs for the California State Auto Association. Sacramento State Professor Paula Gardner will serve as moderator. More than 100 high school classes are expected to view the press conference on the California Channel or on videotape.

The students were selected from LegiSchool’s recent statewide essay contest on “Teens and Driving: Changing the Rules of the Road,” in which high school students were asked about cell phone use by teens while driving, a new law that limits late night driving by teens and whether teen drivers are being adequately trained behind the wheel.

The essay contest winners include Sana Ahmed, Upland High; Jasdeep Brar, Fowler High; Samuel Chiu, Upland High; Christina Hinojosa, Adelante High, Roseville; Ellen Hou, Arcadia High; Vanessa Johnson, Madera High; Allison Jones, Upland High; Grace McCullough, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts; Jennifer Pham, Middle College High, San Jose; and Rachel Warner, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.

For more information, call the Center for California Studies at (916) 278-6906 or the Sacramento State office of public affairs at (916) 278-6156.

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