Christopher Badger, 14, recently served as a legislative page in the state House of Representatives. He was sponsored by Rep. Gigi Talcott (R-Tacoma) of the 28th District.
He is the son of Delilah and David Badger of Lakewood. An eighth-grader at Hudtloff Middle School, he served as Rep. Talcotts page from Jan. 12-16.
Im very proud to have sponsored Christopher. I know he learned a lot from working for the Legislature and I hope he shares his experiences with his schoolmates, said Talcott. Christopher is a straight-A student with a bright future ahead of him.
Since 1891, young people from across the state have come to Olympia to serve as pages for the Washington State House of Representatives. Selection as a page is a great honor, as each House member may sponsor only two pages each session. In all, nearly 300 students between the ages of 14 and 16 will participate this year in the legislative page program.
As a page, Badgers responsibilities included delivering messages and documents to legislators in their offices, committee meetings, and the House chambers during floor sessions. Each job is vital to the efficient operation of the Legislature.
In addition to assigned duties, the young man continued his regular schoolwork two hours a day.
Pages also spend time in the Legislative Page School learning about state government.
In addition to sponsorship by a legislator, pages are required to be in good academic standing and obtain permission from their parents and school.
Pages are paid a stipend for their service and most of them live with volunteer host families while in the state capital.
Students interested in becoming pages may contact Rep. Talcott directly at 360/786-7890. Additional information about the House Page Program can be found on the Internet by visiting www.leg.wa.gov/house/hadm/pageprog.htm.
