Students learn from KFTC and share ideas with legislators

KFTC members spent the day in Frankfort with ninety fourth-grade students from Berea Community Elementary School. The students were interested in learning about the legislative process and how groups of everyday people can work to turn their ideas into law.

The students learned from KFTC leader Teri Blanton about the Stream Saver Bill, HB 164, legislation introduced by Rep. Don Pasley that prohibits the dumping of mining waste in Kentucky's streams. They also shadowed KFTC members around the Capitol as we talked with legislators about the bill.

The fourth-graders were impressed by a lot of what they did and saw, especially walking through the tunnel that goes between the Capitol Annex Building and the Capitol itself.

They also had lots of great questions and ideas.

Who came up with the idea of blowing up the tops of mountains? How did that even get started?

If we allow them to destroy the headwater streams, aren't we really just killing ourselves?

Why don't we use more solar energy so we don't have to blow up the mountains?

What does it mean that these are the oldest mountains in the world? How can some mountains be older than others?

The students also had excellent ideas about what groups of people can do to help build support for good ideas that want legislators to pass into law:

You could get all your friends involved, and other people all over the state.

You could use the telephone. That can be very useful to let other people know what you think.

You can use pictures. Lots of times people don't really understand something until they see pictures of it.

A highlight of the day was hearing from the students' own representatives in Frankfort. Rep. Harry Moberly and Rep. Lonnie Napier both represent parts of Berea and Madison County.

One student told the lawmakers, "I would be glad if you passed the stream saver bill because then we would stop pushing all that stuff into the streams and destroying the mountains."