The Youth Governor: Where Does He Stand?

The Youth Governor: Where Does He Stand? 

By: Aaryan Awasthi – YMCA Arlington - Yorktown 

At Saturday’s press conference, Youth Governor Tommy Dannenfelser, YMCA Arlington – O'Connell, answered many questions regarding his governorship, his personal experiences, and how he’s found MGA to be so far. The questions ranged from asking about specific bills to his overall opinions on broader topics. The youth governor voiced criticism of certain bills, especially the ones he labeled as “anti-life”; bills advocating for abortion and euthanasia he said would be vetoed if they arrived at his desk. Dannenfelser also remarked that his current position on the two marijuana bills is unknown; “a strong maybe.” However, Dannenfelser seemed to be pleased with a majority of the bills at MGA this year.  

The youth governor answered a few questions in an interview regarding his personal views and stances, along with his hopes for the future of the commonwealth and the nation as a whole. In his opinion, the duty of a youth governor is to energize delegates, actively engage with everyone, and most importantly to take in opposing views and bringing in both sides of the discussion. When asked what he wishes for the future of the commonwealth, he said, “[We should] avoid strict, uncooperative partisanship,” along with hope that ideals close to him personally such as life, education, and law-enforcement would remain intact. He hopes the MGA program can help “kids to do good in their communities.” 

Owen Plimpton of YMCA Arlington - Yorktown, a member of the youth governor’s staff, spoke of his role: “We provide the youth governor with research and advice.” Plimpton added that another major role of the governor staff is to transfer information from the youth governor to the delegates, and help guide delegates to create amendments and adjustments that would make the youth governor more likely to pass their bill. When asked about the youth governor’s performance so far, Plimpton said that Dannenfelser has been very productive, and although he carries his own agenda, Dannenfelser is willing to compromise.