Volume 80, Issue 3
Ryan Craig: The Defiant Attorney General Billy Bugara Reporter
Representation. This single word is the basis on which all government officials act in their respective offices. Nowhere is this more true than in the case of our Buckeye Boys State Attorney General, Ryan Craig. This position requires a huge amount of dedication, as well as the ability to make informed decisions for the good of the state and nation alike. At Buckeye Boys State, the delegates are undoubtedly the main concern from day one for all candidates running for any sort of office. This conception is multiplied tenfold when you consider the potential positions for state candidates, as they have to not only represent a simple city or county, but the entire state as a unit. To say the people substantially matter to them is quite an understatement. Again, this method is unmeasurably paramount to the State Attorney General. After the conclusion of state elections, the candidates that represent their constituents at the highest level are finally ready to flaunt their ideas as to why they’ve been selected to such a position and how they’ll conduct this representation. While this has been seen through their campaign altogether, their reasoning and methodology truly comes to light when speaking to the entirety of the state. I wanted to focus on the analysis of the Attorney General’s manner for this very reason. As stated before, their position not only requires a firm grasp on popular sovereignty as a concept, but also a compelling incentive as to how they’ll enforce and act on the issues that their fellow delegates face.
Wednesday, June 13th, 2018 When elections for Attorney General rolled around Tuesday evening, Craig was the victor, and I was finally able to gain some concrete information on what exactly he’s going to bring to the table. My talk with Craig began with a brief preface on how he’ll be fighting for the entirety of the state. He outlined his passion for being available to the delegates in any sort of court case, while simultaneously defending the plaintiffs from any sort of scrutiny. I continued our talk by asking how he will be interacting with the other state officials, as he’ll be working close with them to keep things in order. “I’m going to have to represent the Governor to the best of my abilities”, Craig said. “I’m sure there’s going to be a situation later in the week where the Governor will be engaging in legal activities… so all the cabinets will have to come to me.” I wanted more information on Craig’s second… Continued on page 2.
Two clenched fists, one gold and one blue, represent the struggle that both parties have gone through, but also represent the unity that has come after the election. Drawing courtesy of: Carter Collins
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opinions, so I asked him about one of our nation's hot-button issues: gun violence and regulation. I asked if he had conceived a plan to regulate this issue at Boys State. Craig states that he believes there to be “no real answer” to this issue, but still wants to administer change for the safety of the state. Craig’s plan is to focus on the mental health of those who would like to purchase weapons, rather than any sort of ban. I moved on from firearms to ask him about the second question that arose from the debate: what about the disagreements between you and the governor? In response, Craig talked about finding a compromise for the good of the people and keeping it as professional as possible. He values compromises and what is ultimately right for the state.
Legislative Orientation Mason Davis Reporter
As of Tuesday at 4:00 p.m., the final polls for state officials were closed and the results of city, county and state level elections were posted for candidates to observe. While these results have changed many defeated delegates’ plans, a select group of boys were fortunate enough to become part of the Buckeye Boys State General Assembly. Tuesday evening, these
Students learn about their positions at the Legislative orientation Photo courtesy of Taylor Colaizzi
future leaders gathered to learn the ropes of their respective jobs. Alongside the legionnaire staff, delegates from both the House of Representatives and the Senate will be gathering daily for the remainder of the week to discuss new legislation that will affect citizens. The legislative orientation took place in Room 25 in Farmer Hall. Similar to the decorative chambers of many government buildings, the meeting of the Assembly took place in an ornate room filled with elevated seating and a wide floor for the speakers. This created a very official (but very hot, as many delegates pointed out) environment for legislators to get started. After a brief period of time, members of the assembly began to file in. Following a thorough examination of the room to ensure security by the sergeant at arms, the orientation began. A number of counselors and legionnaires introduced themselves, mentioning their previous histories as legislators when they were teen delegates. One of the main points the counselors conveyed was how critical the legislature is to the Boys State Program, as well as how entertaining it is for the delegates. While being in the legislature can be very interesting, it’s also a lot of work. From the very start of the meeting, the counselors made it clear that the delegates would have to work hard to understand the political process and make change within the assembly. However, many plan to rise to the challenge, such as Representative Ian Eller of Copeland City in Konold County. Eller spoke about his passion to be a representative who stands for fair treatment saying that the General Assembly should focus on “giving each and every city member an equal say, and equality for all.” The Boys State Assembly models the state of Ohio’s in many ways, most notably with the two party system. Members of both the Federalist and Nationalist parties make up the assembly and are ready to cooperate to reach their goals. After elections, the Federalists secured a number of high ranking positions and now make up the majority of both houses. Of course, not everyone involved with the
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legislator is a representative or senator. There are many other roles that keep the assembly organized such as the workers in the LSC Office. Jacob Strudthoff of Balding City located in Galbraith County, explained his role as an office worker. “LSC stands for Legislative Service Commission. Our job is to research bills before they can be passed in the House of Representatives or the Senate. Our goal is to make sure that bills do not interfere with the constitution,” he said. Another essential role that is often overlooked is that of the clerks and their staff. Rocco Grossi, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives and a citizen of Stockner City in Welsh County, was very educated about his duties. “I want to see all of the behind the scenes work and make sure I can help the representatives. As clerk, I make sure we keep track of all legislation considered, and hand out amendment forms when they need it. I’m going to make sure my staff runs effectively and efficiently. I’m excited to work with everyone. Hopefully I’ll get to meet a majority of the representatives regardless of party and connect them to the LSC and other resources when needed.” After an explanation of general procedures, delegates ended the night by splitting up by house and party, where they would then discuss electing officials. Roles in both houses such as the minority whip, president of the senate and speaker of the house were determined. The bottom line is that even with the complex system, many of the representatives and senators are driven to get new bills passed. They have committed to working hard in the General Assembly and are hoping to make a big impact this week.
Political Scandals: Stolen Flags and Illegal Lotteries Ethan Ball Reporter
On the second full day, political corruption found its way into Buckeye Boys State. Its target, one may ask, was the city of Sklenicka. On
Delegates stand in line waiting to vote Photo courtesy of Taylor Colaizzi
Tuesday, multiple anonymous sources from Welsh County reported cases of theft and disruptions of peace. These sources further stated that these crimes were the result of orders from high ranking government officials in Sklenicka City. City officials from Sklenicka were not available for comment. Delegates of Peltier City of Welsh County reported that their city flags were stolen. It was later confirmed that these flags were stolen by city officials from Sklenicka. The Director of Law of Peltier City, Michael Scott, filed suit against Sklenicka City for damages and loss of property. The case is set to appear in court later in the week. In Leonard City of Warner County, a delegate was reported to have been running an illegal lottery operation. The delegate convinced people in his county to write him checks of various amounts for the chance of winning a prize of a higher value. The individual behind the operation was caught and subjected to prosecution.
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Newly elected judicial officials hit the ground running Wednesday, as cases similar to the ones mentioned above began to pop up all over Boys State. Sheriffs and Police Chiefs had the opportunity to investigate and learn how to legally arrest criminals. Above all, delegates learned to protect and uphold the meaning of the American flag and constitutional law.
Which One Will You Pick? Tavis Barton Reporter
"I ran for an office and I lost. I did not make it through the primary," Tom Worley told students at the job fair who were looking for employment and opportunity. Worley had graduated Boys State in 1971 and was now sharing his wise words with current attendees. The job fair offers a wide array of options for those looking to obtain a career. So where do these jobs come from? The answer is simple: the Governor's staff. Within two hours of being elected, the governor must appoint his 30 man staff. This staff must then hire people to their departments in order to help them run smoothly. These jobs have major impacts on those who choose to take them up. “For some it becomes a career, for others enjoy your time here and the memories you take with you," Worley said. Based off of personal observation there were two major career paths that seemed to have more then four people in their line at all times until the job fair was over. For starters, the most popular job that drew many peoples interest was the office of the inspector general. This job makes sure that the government is playing by the rules and nothing illegal is happening. One could compare this job to the FBI, but for states rather than the country. The irony behind this position is that the inspector general is appointed by the governor and the main job of the general is to ensure that the governor and other state officials don't do anything out of line. The inspector general said the governor asked him, “can you be some-
one I trust?” This could also be taken as “can you not report me if something illegal happens?” Yet, what does the state treasurer do and why were people waiting so long to get a word in? The treasure of state acts as a bank for the government and makes sure that all the budgets are in check. They make sure everything in the government has plenty of funding and that the interest rates are high so no concerns or worries are brought up in the community over money. When asking the treasurer of state how he felt his position was special, he stated that he was in charge of money, or as he said, “what makes the world go around.” The treasurer of state claimed that “without this position, nothing would get funded.” This again demonstrates the major significance of this job and the main reason why delegates were so adamant to get an opportunity at being part of the team. Many seemed to be interested in roles that centered around money and authority. There is something for everyone at the job fair, it depends heavily on the individual's interest. These job fair goers seem to have tapped into what is important to them, an important aspect of the Buckeye Boys State experience.
Tom Worley speaks to delegates at the job fair Photo courtesy of Tavis Barton