The Idaho House Legislative Page Program gives high school seniors the opportunity to work at the Capitol building for six weeks. Seniors from all parts of Idaho travel to be part of the program, exposing them to what happens at the state level of the government and what working full-time looks like. There are two legislative sessions that run from January to March. They are split into six week time slots, with nine selected pages for each session.
“For the first session, I am working a full six week term, but second session pages can work anywhere from five to six week term, depending on when it finishes up,” said senior Marley Johnson.
Legislative page tasks include preparing materials, running notes, setting up the hearing room, signing in guests, mail distribution, bill book, journaling and bill drawer maintenance. It is more important that the tasks given get done rather than that a page follows a specific order of instruction.
“You get put on different committees, and you visit and set up meetings depending on what committee you have. But you stick with the generic tasks like running notes, making calls, and signing in guests,” said senior Easton Chandler.
Working 40-hour weeks with the senators and senate staff quickly builds strong relationships within the Capitol.
“I’m a senate page, so I work with the people on the senate side. I’d say that being a senate page is easier than a house page,” said senior Kristian Fusco.
There are two different kinds of pages, Legislative Pages and House Pages. They cover different parts of the Capitol and work with different employers. Legislative Pages wear blue vests and House Pages wear red.
“The dress code is very strict, girls have to wear a white long blouse with your designated vest with grey, black, or navy slacks with loafers or heels,” Johnson said.
The pages work for a five to six-week period, depending on how long the session goes for. There is a clash between school and work for the pages, and that relies solely on them. Missed school work and tests should be worked out between teachers and the student to have a reliable plan.
