Springfield, IL... With the Illinois House recessing on Thursday this week, State Representative David Leitch (R-Peoria) spent Friday afternoon speaking with Freshmen students in Mr. Sam Elbert's Social Studies class at Metamora Township High School.
The presentation, "Capitol Classroom," introduces students to the work of the Illinois General Assembly through an interactive presentation showcasing the General Assembly's website. The website allows the public to look at any piece of legislation being considered by the House or the Senate and is updated daily with the status of bills, full text of the legislation, all actions taken, and even audio and video of the proceedings.
One of the bills Rep. Leitch featured in the presentation on Friday was a bill he sponsored and passed last year on behalf of Metamora resident Jim Underwood. The bill created a Distinguished Service Cross license plate in Illinois. Mr. Underwood was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism during a WWII engagement against the Japanese in the Philippines. However, Mr. Underwood discovered when renewing his license plates that there were plates honoring Congressional Medal of Honor, Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Silver Star, and Gold Star recipients, but not Distinguished Service Cross recipients (the second highest decoration in the United States Army).
Other bills of interest included a bill from this session which requires students who are in high school marching band also participate in Physical Education and several bills regarding Wind Farms. The Village of Metamora and Metamora School District are seeking grants to build a wind turbine to offset electrical costs for residents and the district, so Rep. Leitch thought these bills would be of particular interest to Metamora students.
"This was a great opportunity for students to meet their State Representative directly and learn firsthand about the legislative process in Springfield," said teacher Sam Elbert.
"It is always a pleasure to speak to students about State Government, and the students at Metamora High School were no exception. Teaching them about this while utilizing the General Assembly's website really helps to pique their interest in the topics and get students further engaged with what is going on in the state," Leitch said.
"It was very interesting to see how the things we have learned about in class are practiced in the real world," said student Hannah Whittington.
Leitch added, "So many issues we discuss in Springfield stretch out far into the future - a future which these students will inherit. They will either benefit from the moves we make now, or they will have to create solutions to the problems they inherit."
Representative Leitch regularly gives the "Capitol Classroom" presentation to middle and high schools in his legislative district. Teachers interested in having this presentation given to their class can contact Rep. Leitch's district office at 309-690-7373.