After the gavel smashes in Olympia next week, it will be the state’s teenagers, not elected officials, cutting deals in the halls of the state legislature. The regular session has adjourned and a new generation of leaders is moving in — the YMCA’s 62nd Youth Legislature.

More than 475 youth delegates along with their advisers from 35 schools and youth delegations across Washington will descend upon the state capitol from May 6-9 proposing bills in House and Senate chambers, debating current issues, and passing legislation that will become permanent record. Youth Legislature is part of the YMCA’s Youth & Government Program.

“Youth Legislature teaches teenagers about our legislative practices and how to make it their own,” said Phil Gardner, the YMCA’s 62nd Youth Governor and a senior at Charles Wright Academy in University Place. “It’s a high-energy, fast-paced environment designed to teach students about our country’s democratic traditions in a fun and dynamic way.”

This year the Youth Legislature will try out a new process in their elections, ranked choice voting, otherwise known as instant runoff voting. This is a direct result of legislation that this year’s Youth Governor Phil Gardner introduced last year.

Youth & Government participants research public policy issues, write bills and practice public speaking all year in preparation for this immersion experience in politics.

Approximately 375 bills will be introduced this session. These include serious topics such as, improving the curriculum in Washington schools, protecting our environment, reducing energy consumption, restructuring the election process, and some with a much lighter and youthful fare like ensuring that state troopers and sheriffs are trained to handle any zombie attack and or zombie invasion that may occur and making Olympic National Park beaches in Washington nude beaches for those between the ages of 18 and 45. By the end of day four, hundreds of bills will have been debated, many will be signed into youth law, a heated election process will produce a new governor and executive staff, and all will go away with a stronger appreciation of state politics and current issues.

Notable alumni of YMCA Youth & Government include: Sen. Betti Sheldon, Washington State Senate (retired); Dr. Douglas D. Osheroff, Nobel Prize Winner in physics 1996, Professor at Stanford University; H. Stuart Elway, Elway Research; Pam Curtis Bjornsen, Pam Curtis & Associates Consulting, OHSU Center for Evidence Based Research; Jim Bricker, Government Affairs, PEMCO Financial Services; The Hon. Robert F. Utter, Supreme Court Justice (retired); Mike Egan, director external corporate affairs, Microsoft; The Hon. Daniel J. Berschauer, Thurston County Superior Court; Jeanne Cushman, attorney, Partner CushmanGale, LLC.