On May 1, 2019, the Millennial Action Project, in partnership with the Association of Young Americans and the Young Texans Legislative Caucus (YTLC), hosted the 2019 Texas Capitol Day at the statehouse. This event brought together members of the YTLC and millennial-aged stakeholders from the greater Austin area to develop and deepen the conversation around youth advocacy and civic engagement.
Chairs of the YTLC, Representative John Bucy III and Representative Jared Patterson, provided opening remarks welcoming the group of to the capitol. Representative Bucy offered Capitol Day recognition from the floor of the House of Representatives with a resolution highlighting the group from state and municipal government, non-profits, student organizations, and more. Bucy shared “We’re excited to have young people here today to gain insight on how to create a truly bipartisan caucus devoted to engaging youth involvement… Engaging youth participation is vital to Texas.”
Program discussions began with a roundtable conversation on Millennial Momentum - centered on the rise of young elected leadership and the growing power of the millennial vote. After lunch, legislators and attendees gathered for the day’s second discussion, “Amplify Your Impact,” where participants discussed strategies for increased and effective civic engagement. Through an interactive discussion, attendees developed ideas for encouraging young people to bridge divides between younger constituencies and elected officials as well as pathways for young people to pursue careers in public service. To close the days agenda, attendees participated in a lobbying discussion and workshop facilitated by the Association of Young Americans.
The event provided a unique forum for participants to gain insight on the work of young state legislators and discuss plans for more comprehensive youth engagement in the future. As younger generations continue to assume positions of power and leadership in legislatures across the country, the importance of collaboration and recognizing their work and impact are vital to the health of our democracy.
