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Rockbridge County High School government students were given the opportunity to hear first-hand accounts of how bills become laws at both the state and federal levels when U.S. Rep. Ben Cline and Del. Ellen Campbell visited students during their government class periods.
The students also were able to ask the representatives their thoughts on a range of current political issues, including transgender rights, abortion and school threats.
Cline and Campbell, both with deep Rockbridge County ties, visited seniors during two separate assemblies on March 3 and March 6.
The goal of these two visits were to give students an opportunity to learn more about how bills are passed in the Virginia House of Delegates and the United States Congress, as well as to hear from legislators how the government operates. - Andrew Simon, who teaches United States History and Government at RCHS, invited Delegate Campbell to come and speak to the senior government classes. Simon explained how having a speaker involved in government enhances what is taught in the government classrooms.
“I think it really helps us understand where our voice fits in the system. For students to be able to see that there is somebody who represents us in Richmond but lives in our own community, that is a really cool connection to make,” said Simon.
During Campbell’s visit, she discussed how bills in the House of Delegates get brought there and voted on. Campbell also shared her thoughts on why it is important for students to learn how the government works.
“I think it is important for the students to learn a lot ahead of time because they are going to be out there and they are going to be engaged. We want [students] to be excited about the [legislatiive] process and understand it. We mostly want them to be engaged.” said Campbell.
During the question-andanswer section of Campbell’s visit, a student asked how delegates receive legislation requests from their constituents.
“Here in a small area, I see so many people and we go to the same grocery stores, the same churches, the same shops, so I do get a lot of [requests there,] but I also do get a lot of emails and telephone calls at the office about potential opportunities for legislation,” responded Campbell. “We are extremely accessible, so you can call, text, and we want to hear from everybody and we want to know what is important to you.”
Following Campbell’s response, another student asked what she was working to do to improve Rockbridge County High School.
“I am proud to say that we have great schools in Rockbridge County,” she said. “I think that there are things that we need to do, though, and I think we’re looking at that. Governor Youngkin has put a lot of emphasis on education, and we need to make sure that we have and retain the best teachers, which I think we do here in Rockbridge County, and we need to make sure that we are here to support them. We also need to make sure that [students] have the best programs and most rigorous curriculum.”
A third question was asked in regard to how Governor Youngkin and the General Assembly planned to fix the mistake that messed up the education budgets for local school systems earlier in the year.
“We do know that there was a mistake that was made that did impact the education budget. I am proud to tell you that before we left, we passed part of the budget that will correct that mistake. No school will lose any money, and no one will get any less money than they were approved [for],” said Campbell.
Another student then questioned Campbell on her opinions regarding transgender legislation that was being passed around the country, specifically asking about her thoughts on parental involvement in a minor’s life regarding their thoughts on their gender.
“It is a complicated issue. I think that we have to do our very best to support all of our students, and we need to make sure that everyone has a safe environment,” she responded. “I think that parents should be a part of the equation. I think that as a parent, I would want to know and be a part of that equation with people making a really big discussion.
“But I think it is critically important that we do the right thing and to make sure that all people are supported regardless of how they are identifying at this time,” she continued. “But it is a complicated issue, and there is a lot that goes into it. It is important that we hear from our constituents, it is important to hear what they have to say. But at the end of the day, if you’re asking me personally I think that people need to make sure that when we are talking about our young people that their parents need to be involved in all those decisions.”
Another student then questioned Campbell on her opinions about the amount of threats being received in schools.
“I think that it is unacceptable. I am also a parent and I have kids that were in school here and I have grandkids that are in the school system here, and it is a terrifying thing,” she said. “I think that threatening a school or threatening anything is not okay, it is not acceptable. I have always been a big advocate for school resource officers. I think that that is an important deterrent, but I think that when we find credible threats, and we know that they have happened, I think that those people should be held accountable and I think they should be prosecuted.”
A final question that was submitted to teachers before the assembly was read, asking Campbell’s opinion on President Biden.
“So I will say that President Biden is our president,” she said. “I did not vote for President Biden, but I will tell you that I pray for him; I pray for his cabinet. I think being the president would be very [hard.] I am in the legislature and I can’t even imagine what being the president of the United States of America would be like.
“There is not anyone who is ever going to make every right decision. They are certainly not going to please everybody,” she continued. “If you think about political agendas and party lines, certainly a lot of things that I see are not things that I would have chosen. But, he won. So he and his Cabinet and his Administration are in control right now.” - Weeks prior to Ben Cline’s visit, his office contacted RCHS to schedule a visit to talk to government seniors.
Cline stopped by RCHS in the early morning of Monday, March 6, to talk to students about the importance of voting and how bills in Congress are passed, as well as commenting on his political philosophy. Cline then spoke on why it is important for people that are nearing voting age to become educated on the issues in their community.
“The decisions that are being made at the local and state and federal levels affect people right here in Rockbridge County whether you are 18 or not, so the sooner you can register to vote the sooner you can start impacting those decisions,” said Cline.
Cline then went on to discuss why it is important for students to learn how to work with people who have differing opinions from themselves.
“You have to learn to get along and work with the other side,” he said. “Growing up in Rockbridge County, I learned how to get along with people who did not think like me, disagreed with me on certain things, and what you will find is this school is a great way to bring people together from all walks of life and it is good practice for life.”
Cline discussed the percentages of votes he receives during each election.
“I win with 65% of the vote, [and] I do not win 100% of the vote. Thirty-five percent of voters disagree and would like my opponent to win and their views are the view of my opponents,” he said. “That does not hurt my feelings, but, in fact, it makes me more interested in what the 35% are thinking. I am really interested in wanting to know what the 35% think.”
To conclude his talk, Cline emphasized the importance of young adults registering to vote and learning the issues in their community.
“If you are 18 and you have not registered to vote, please register. I want you registered so that you can voice your opinion because too few people vote and that does not matter regardless of the party you are in,” said Cline. “And if you are not 18 yet, it does not hurt to learn the issues, because that way when you are 18 you will be ready [to vote.]” Once Cline finished speaking, he opened up the floor for questions from students. Many students brought up political topics they were concerned about, such as laws pertaining to transgender rights, abortion, guns and drag shows.
When asked about his opinion on transgender legislation, specifically referencing the recently passed bill in Tennessee that restricts people under the age of 18 from receiving surgeries or hormones to alter their bodies, Cline responded, “If you are under 18 and you want to be able to receive a certain treatment that is irreversible without your parents’ consent, I am going to have a problem with that.
“Now that is a state matter, and Virginia has laws on the books regarding that,” said Cline. “I would have a problem with any type of protection that allows someone under 18 to make a decision involving their own health care that does not involve their parents making that decision.”
Another student then asked for Cline’s opinions on another transgender bill passed in Arkansas, that also prohibits minors from receiving hormone therapy or puberty blockers.
Cline responded, “There are some who feel gender dysphoria is a disorder that should be treated therapeutically rather than medically, rather than through surgery or any kind of hormone altering drugs until that person is 18 and can make a decision by themselves.”
“The people in Virginia will make decisions about the rights that parents should have and what rights children should be able to have when they get to being an adult,” Cline continued. “Even if your parents support your decision to take hormones or surgically alter your body, some states apparently are taking the position that because it is irreversible, you should be required to wait until your 18 to make that decision.”
Following his comments about surgeries and hormones being irreversible, a student commented on how having a child is irreversible. Cline then responded, “The child in my mind deserves the right to be born, and to have a life and to have a chance, and then to make decisions for themselves.”
A third question about transgender legislation came up when a student asked about drag show legislation that had recently been passed in another state. Cline responded, “The question is, are children allowed to be present, and is the performance sexualized? Right now, children are not allowed in strip clubs, they are not allowed in these types of shows where women are engaged in sexualized performances. What you are asking is, should children be exposed to sexualized performances of any kind, and I think a lot of parents say no.”
A final question came from a student concerning Second Amendment rights.
Cline commented, “I vote against all [anti-Second Amendment laws.] You have a right, God-given, to protect yourself. It is in the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment actually protects that God-given right, and says that the government shall not take away your ability to protect yourself and your home and your family. So, I will never vote to enable the government to take away your right to protect yourself by taking away weapons from you or your family. That is a very clear right, the Supreme Court has affirmed, and the government should not be taking that away.”
After the question-andanswer portion of Cline’s talk, students were able to go and shake hands with the representative and thank him for his visit. Senior Brandon Grow commented on what valuable information students gained during these two visits.
“There were some things [that were talked about] that corresponded with our government class but I also learned that Ellen and Ben work in two different parts of government and we were able to have the firsthand experience of learning how both of them are similar but different,” said Grow.
