Does Bigger Mean Better?

    By Casey Wexler
Florida Youth In Government is bigger than ever before. This year involves more committee chairs, more DLAs, and more Judicial delegates than ever before. The Press Corps is in double digits for the second year in a row. More delegates than ever before will attend State Assembly, but does a bigger assembly mean a better assembly? In my opinion, Youth In Government can only benefit from its growth, and I am not alone in my assertions.

     According to Benjamin Wisehaupt, South Fork High School delegation and the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Attorney General, the increase in size is bringing more variety to their bills. “Just within the Attorney General we have everything from bills involving prisons to sexual abuse to joint resolutions,” said Wisehaupt. This is a major change from previous years when bills reviewed by the Attorney General covered only one or two topics.

     The Legislature is also reaping the benefits of YIG’s growth. Caitlyn Carey, a committee chair from the West Central Florida delegation, is part of the largest group of committee chairs in Florida YIG history.  According to Carey, a larger legislature will especially benefit new delegates.  “We will be able to give more attention to new delegates, and they will have more people to work with them, so they will be better able to learn the bill process,” Carey said.

     The Judicial program is stronger than ever this year. Kamryn Lewis, an associate justice of the Phi Delta Y- Fort Myers High School delegation asserts that a larger Judicial Branch is a better Judicial Branch. “I think it will offer new perspectives,” she said. “We have more people, more attorneys offering their own opinions on cases.” Lewis says that this greater quantity of perspectives will “give the justices a lot to think about when we write our opinions.”

     As a member of the Press Corps, I am extremely proud to be part of one of the largest Press Corps in Florida YIG history. How will a larger Press Corps benefit you? More people means more articles, and with more articles we, the Press Corps, are better able to keep you informed. Not only will we be able to tell you what is happening in other branches, but also the events occurring outside the Florida Capitol building.

     Now is the time to fulfill these predictions. We will make this year, 2015, the best year Florida Youth In Government has ever seen.