Great Neighbors: Pages in Idaho Legislature

For a week, we have brought you updates from the legislative session in Boise. In all those committee meetings, there is an extra person or two there to both run errands for our lawmakers and learn. They’re called pages, and they are this week’s Great Neighbors.

“I’m basically like the secretary’s secretary,” said Julia Horman.

Horman is a senior at Hillcrest High School, but she’s starting off her last semester at the state Capitol in Boise as page for the legislative session.

Austin Scheffey from Bear Lake High School is the only other page from eastern Idaho for this session.

“I pretty much help anyone who needs help,” said Scheffey, also a senior. “I work with the secretary of state affairs, and I just run information around and am here for everyone.”

“We make copies, deliver mail, and we get everything ready for the committee meetings, put everything in file folders,” said Horman.

Being a page is more than being a professional errand-runners. It’s also a great learning experience.

While they get an inside look at government, they’re still responsible for school work.

“I do it through email. My teacher will send me the homework, and I’ll do it and send it back,” said Scheffey.

That makes for a long day, since the pages are already working from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“It’s intense, but I really like the pace. I like how busy it is,” said Horman.

Pages often live with family or friends, but Horman will be with her mom, Wendy Horman, a House representative from Bonneville County.

“We love it,” said Rep. Horman. “I don’t really see her much because I have very full schedule while I am here, and she has a very full schedule while she is here, but it is kind of fun to run into her in an elevator or in a hallway. That has been fun.”

The pages help the legislative session run smoothly, and that’s why they are this week’s Great Neighbors.