Rep. David Taylor sponsors Yakima teen as page in House of Representatives
Fulfilling a dream since she was eight years old, Sophie Torres traveled to Olympia this week to serve as a page in the state House of Representatives. She was sponsored by her 15th district Rep. David Taylor, R-Moxee.
As part of her page duties, Sophie learned to traverse the many buildings on the Capitol campus while delivering messages and documents to legislators and staff. She assisted representatives on the House floor during voting, and participated in opening ceremonies at the start of each day of session.
“It was an honor for me to have the opportunity to sponsor Sophie as a page,” said Taylor. “The House Page Program is an excellent way for students like her to learn about state government, and I trust this experience will inspire her to do great things in the future.”
During her week in Olympia Sophie attended page school every day to understand the operations and actions of the Legislature, often directly from elected officials. As a culminating project, she and another page applied their new knowledge and experiences to write a piece of legislation which they presented to their fellow pages in a mock committee hearing. Focusing on increasing consumer awareness by requiring the labeling of all genetically modified food, Sophie convinced the page committee to pass her bill.
The youngest of five children, Sophie is the daughter of Eric and Autumn Torres of Yakima.
To become a page, applicants must have a legislative sponsor, be between the ages of 14 and 16, and obtain written permission from their parents and school. Pages earn $35 per day while serving in the program. For more information about the House page program, visit: http://www.leg.wa.gov/House/Pages/HousePageProgram.aspx.
