Principians Act as State Legislators
Juniors Lyssa Winslow and Cameron Douglas traveled to Springfield, Illinois, in early March to participate in Model Illinois Government (MIG), a simulation of the Illinois Legislative Assembly involving more than 160 students from 16 Illinois colleges and universities. Lyssa and Cameron acted as Republican senators and were elected as Minority Committee spokespersons by their respective committee caucuses.
A political science and mass communication double major, Lyssa served on the Education and Family Services Committee, which focused on legislation regarding school redistricting and tuition rates for veterans. Cameron, a political science and history double major, served on the Environment, Transportation, and Human Services Committee, concentrating on highway speed limits and Medicaid.
Cameron also authored a piece of original legislation on autonomous vehicles (based on actual legislation in other states) that was debated and passed by both the mock Senate and House and signed by the MIG Governor. As an added bonus, Illinois State Senator Sam McCann (R), whose district includes most of Jersey County (but not the College campus), was in the Senate chamber when the legislation passed the Senate and congratulated Cameron.
“Both Cameron and Lyssa did an outstanding job leading their party in committee deliberations and debating legislation in both the committee and full Senate sessions,” says political science professor Dr. Brian Roberts, who traveled to Springfield with them. “They worked hard over spring break and early this term to prepare for the simulation with more than 80 bills to research.”
Model Illinois Government sessions were held in the historic Old State Capitol Building, where Abraham Lincoln served and President Barack Obama launched his 2008 presidential campaign, and in the actual Senate chamber of the current Illinois State Capitol.