ATLANTA – State Representative Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus), Chairman of the Columbus Legislative Delegation, along with the members of the Columbus Legislative Delegation, Reps. Carolyn Hugley (D-Columbus), Richard Smith (R-Columbus), Debbie Buckner (D-Junction City), John Pezold (R-Columbus) and State Senators Ed Harbison (D-Columbus) and Josh McKoon (R-Columbus), today announced that the delegation will host a “Speak up Sit-in” with students from the Muscogee County School District (MCSD) on March 14, 2018. This video conference event will give students the opportunity to have their voices heard at the State Capitol and to see their state government in action.
“The Columbus Legislative Delegation and I are happy to participate in the Speak up Sit-in video conference and have the chance to engage with our students from across the Muscogee County School District,” said Chairman Smyre. “These students are our future leaders, and it is important that we give them this platform to be able to hear their questions and concerns.”
Students in Muscogee County will participate in a district approved “Speak up Sit-in” event in lieu of participating in the National School Walkout Day that is taking place that day. For this event, each MCSD middle school and high school will select delegates to participate in a video conference session with members of their local legislative delegation. Student delegates will come together on March 14, 2018, from 9 – 9:45 a.m. for the video conference and will lead a dialogue with legislators with questions from other students across the school district. A live stream of the “Speak up Sit-in” video conference will be shown to all MCSD middle and high school students in their classrooms, and the public can view the event on the MCSD’s Facebook page.
Representative Calvin Smyre, Chairman of the Columbus Legislative Delegation, represents the citizens of District 135, which includes portions of Muscogee County. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1974 and currently serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education and the Higher Education and Rules committees. He is also a member of the Military Affairs working group.
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