[ TEACHER STRIKE ]

Youth Legislature OKs
teacher pay raises

---

By Rosemarie Bernardo
Star-Bulletin

AFTER THREE DAYS of debating legislation, teen state lawmakers wrapped up the 52nd Annual YMCA Youth Legislature after Youth Gov. Rosie Tennis signed 13 bills and resolutions passed by the Youth House and Senate.

One of those bills included Youth Senate Bill No. 3, which appropriates $10 million for pay raises for Hawaii public school teachers and University of Hawaii instructors and professors.

Youth Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 9, which asks the Board of Education to investigate ways to reduce weapons on school campuses, also was passed.

Fifty-five teens from across the state spent their spring break at the University of Hawaii Campus Center working on proposed legislation with similar deadlines and formalities that real legislators go through at the state Capitol.

Copies of the legislation that passed will be delivered to Gov. Ben Cayetano, Senate President Robert Bunda and House Speaker Calvin Say for consideration.

Several young lawmakers received awards.

Tabitha Aquino of Kokua Kalihi Valley/Youth Mapping was awarded for outstanding legislation for presenting Youth Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 4, which requests Child Protective Services review and revise the procedures to remove newborn babies from their homes.

In the Youth House, Troy Okubo of the Nuuanu YMCA and Layton Pacheco of the Leeward YMCA were given awards for their outstanding performances as youth legislators. In the Youth Senate, Johnny Alvaro of the Hawaii YMCA and Kellen King of the Nuuanu YMCA also were chosen as outstanding legislators.

---

>> HSTA Web site
>> State Web site