13th District legislators sponsor twin sisters in the Legislative Page Program
CONTACT: Kurt Hammond, Senior Public Information Officer | 360-786-7794
13th District legislators sponsor twin sisters in the Legislative Page Program
Twin sisters Abigail and Elisabeth Shearer spent the week of Jan. 19 – 23 in Olympia participating in the Legislative Page Program. However, they served in different chambers and were sponsored by different 13th District lawmakers.
Abigail, sponsored by 13th District Rep. Tom Dent, served as a page in the state House of Representatives.
“I am grateful for Abigail’s service during her week in Olympia. I hope she will stay engaged in the legislative process. It is important our young people be active in our government at all levels and help shape the future of our communities,” said Dent, R-Moses Lake. “The page program is an excellent way for students to learn how our state government operates. It is also an excellent opportunity to make lasting friendships with the other pages from around Washington state.”
Elisabeth, sponsored by 13th District Sen. Judy Warnick, served as a page in the state Senate.
“It was a pleasure to have Elisabeth serve as a page in the State Senate recently. I appreciate her service and am happy she was able to experience the legislative process in this way,” said Warnick, Moses Lake. “The Page Program is a special part of the Legislature which allows students to become acquainted with the legislative process in our state and enables them to see how laws governing the people come into being.”
Abigail and Elisabeth are home-schooled. They are the daughters of Craig and Chrystal Shearer of Moses Lake. Abigail’s interests include reading, drawing, and crocheting. Elisabeth’s interests include reading and playing the piano. She recently started teaching piano lessons.
Each year, students from around the state apply to become pages. Applicants must have a legislative sponsor and be between 14 and 16 years old. Additionally, pages are required to obtain written permission from their parents and school. Pages in the House of Representatives are paid $65 per day, and in the Senate, $67 per day. Applicants who need financial assistance for travel and lodging in Olympia may also apply for the Gina Grant Bull Memorial Legislative Page Scholarship, which helps to offset expenses.
Page Elisabeth Shearer with Sen. Warnick.
