RALEIGH, N.C.  – Students from across North Carolina will arrive in Raleigh on Friday for the 39th annual Youth Legislative Assembly (YLA). The event is sponsored by the Youth Advocacy and Involvement Office of the N.C. Department of Administration.

A total of 266 students from 43 counties and 92 schools are scheduled to participate and will be sworn in during the opening session at 12 noon Friday in Room 643 of the Legislative Office Building. Presiding over this year’s sessions will be tri-speakers Seth Morris, a senior at Salisbury High School in Salisbury; David Freifeld, a senior at Enloe High School in Raleigh; and Elgin Giles, a junior at West Johnson High School in Benson.

YLA is an opportunity for North Carolina high school students to write, debate and vote on bills and share their views with legislators and other state government officials. General Sessions will be held Friday and Saturday the Legislative Office Building, with the closing session and other activities at the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel.

Following procedures used by members of the N.C. General Assembly, participants will work in committees before gathering for general sessions. Among the items to be considered are bills to: legalize the institution of civil unions; require every North Carolina public school system to offer a foreign language program in primary schools; require a minimum refundable deposit on recyclable, individually-sealed beverage containers; reform the gun show loophole; and institute a syringe exchange program. A YLA final report will be sent to the governor, members of the General Assembly and other key state leaders.

YLA 2009 sponsors are the N.C. Cable Telecommunications Association, the John William Pope Foundation, Progress Energy, the N.C. Sheriff’s Association, ElectriCities of North Carolina Inc., and the N.C. Minority/Women Business Enterprise Coordinators’ Network.

For details on the 10 committees and proposed legislation from each visit http://www.doa.nc.gov/yaio/youthcouncils-yla-reg.htm (click on Registration Packet).