Paws to the Polls just made its third trip, April 11, to Jefferson City to speak with legislators, the second one for this semester and legislative session. There are many ways to take action on supporting or opposing current legislation, but repeated feedback from legislators indicates that nothing beats a  personal visit to the capital.

On each trip to Jefferson City, all participants learn an incredible amount about the processes and proceedings, meet new legislators, and reconnect with previous contacts. The students do an amazing job of representing our campus, diplomatically relaying key information to the legislators.

The group went to support a variety of House bills, from both Democratic and Republican legislators, that would allow and restore greater access to voting for college and high school students, of voting age.  Advocating for those bills that permit people who have completed their prison sentence to vote while under community supervision (probation or parole) and make it more feasible for those in jail who are otherwise fully eligible to vote, to do so. It is very important to express concerns about other elections-related bills, which the students also did effectively.

A chance encounter with a friendly representative from Republic, met on a previous trip, led to an informative and fun tour that included climbing the many steps up to the outside of the dome to enjoy the beautiful scenery and weather.