Rep. Tory Arnberger (R-Great Bend) has spent the days since last week’s “Turnaround Day” talking to people in Great Bend about her work in the Kansas Legislature. On Tuesday she visited three government classes at Great Bend High School and she plans to visit Hoisington Middle School on Friday, but today she will be back in Topeka.
Arnberger encouraged the teenagers to register to vote and even consider running for office in the future.
“I ran for office when I was 22 and I was 23 when I was elected,” the freshman representative said. “It was a huge, huge eye-opening experience. I just filled out the paperwork to re-file.”
In Michelle Moore’s government class, Arnberger talked about how a bill becomes law, using an example that came before the Legislature in 2017 and is being considered again: a proposed law allowing vending machine sales of lottery tickets. If a bill is passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it then goes to the governor who has 10 days to sign or veto it. If it is neither signed nor vetoed, the legislation becomes law without being signed.
“What are some issues that are important to you guys?” Arnberger asked the students. Topics included guns and drugs, but the students didn’t get specific until the talk turned to immigration and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), where there were mixed views.
In addition to spending time with students this week, Arnberger said she has been talking to people in the community, including those is government and law enforcement.
She encouraged all of the GBHS students to become registered voters as soon as they are old enough. A legal resident of Kansas must be at least 17 years old to register and 18 years old by election day to vote.