A catalyst has been dropped into the bickering, splintered, mostly inactive pit that is the youth rights movement. We can do as usual and ignore it, or we can take action and utilize the key given to us.
The catalyst I speak of would be HF1250; a bill introduced in March of this year by Representatives Kahn, Dawkins, and Jaros of the Minnesota State legislature that would lower Minnesota's voting age in state and local elections from 18 to 16.
Once a bill is proposed, it is usually delegated to a committee, the Governmental Operations and Veterans Affairs Policy in this case, which determines the action to be taken on the bill. Currently the bill is stuck in committee. This means no action is being taken on the bill. If the committee wishes, they can let the bill die without so much as a vote. It is up to us, the youth rights community, to insist the committee take action on HF1250.
The events that happen in Minnesota may seem unimportant and far away, but this is quite to the contrary. They could have a rather profound impact on the future course of the youth rights movement. We can use this as an opportunity to share our beliefs with a greater audience and to further bring our message from the internet into the lives of the everyday young person. Minnesota's actions can also set a huge precedent on not only other state governments, but the federal government as well. State and national congresses may finally recognize the disenfranchisement of capable youths to be unjust and grant them their voting liberty. Voting rights given to a larger group of young people would give greater leverage in the passing and repulsion of age discriminatory laws. With a greater number of constituents to please, and all of these constituents being younger in age, politicians will be mindful of the laws they pass curbing the freedoms of young people, and the way they handle such laws already in existence but are being protested. An era of greater respect for youth could dawn with a lowered voting age.
Many methods exist for both residents and non-residents of Minnesota to help pass HF1250. If you are lucky enough to live in Minnesota, you can inform your friends and family of HF1250 and its importance. You can then organize petition drives and letter writing campaigns urging committee members into taking action on the bill. If you do not live in Minnesota, you can still help a great deal. The best help that can be given would be writing personal, well-thought letters supporting action on the bill to committee members. If you do not have the time to write out a letter, form letters will be provided to you for download on several websites involved in attempting to lower Minnesota's voting age. All you have to do is sign your name and stuff it in an envelope.
If you wish to learn more about the Minnesota voting age, including the bill's progress and what action is being taken by the youth rights community, visit APLL's Lower the Minnesota Voting Age website or The Alliance's Website. If you need to contact someone regarding HF1250, feel free to e-mail Matthew Havens.
Those concerned about the issue of youth rights can no longer blame the leaders of the movement for inaction. Action is being taken; it is now your turn to support it.
(Editor's Note: ASFAR is currently running a letter-writing campaign to try and get this bill out of committee and passed. See "The Buzz" Section for further detail.)
(Editor's Note: Some names have been removed from this article for privacy purposes.)