By Ellie Lanier
There are over 200 bills being proposed at YAG this year, and with over one thousand delegates, there is a huge variety of both serious and consequential but also silly and fun bills. While both serious and funny bills have their role at conference, these are some of the most outrageous and creative bills that stuck out among the rest this year:
Mandating a State-Wide Nap Day Within the Year (HB 54)
Naps are not just for young children, as pointed out by this bill, which comes from a group of delegates from Forsyth Country Day School. The bill, if passed, would create an annual holiday in which all schools, workplaces, and federal offices are closed, which would be enforced through fines on employers. This bill would improve public health and well being and increase productivity and efficiency in schools and workplaces. It also allows everyone– from students to working adults– essential time to recharge and creates a culture that “values rest as a necessity rather than a luxury.”
An Act to make biscuits the state food of North Carolina (HB 60)
Everyone in North Carolina knows biscuits evoke a southern sense of home and hospitality. Under this bill, presented by a group from Forsyth Country Day School, would make biscuits the state food. This would bring North Carolina up to date with 34 other states that have their own state foods, and would help preserve the flavors that make North Carolina special. Biscuits being a state symbol would celebrate the history of our state and provide reminders of the importance of family, which is a crucial value in NC. However, opponents argued that biscuits can be too dry and hard, making them impossible to eat, or that biscuits alone shouldn’t be the state food, but instead biscuits with gravy or sausage.
Catfishing should be a crime under fraud (SB 45)
This bill, from a group from Carver High School, aims to make catfishing a crime punishable by a fine or even up to a year in jail. The bill authors compellingly argued that catfishing is a form of abuse, as it leads to financial, emotional, or reputational harm, and is done with the intent to deceive, defraud, and even harm. This issue is personally relevant to the authors because one of them expressed that she had been catfished and it left her traumatized and heartbroken. Many advocated for this bill, saying that, as social media becomes more prevalent, it becomes increasingly dangerous and hard to navigate, making it easier to be duped by someone you thought you knew on a social platform. However, others argued that the only thing needed to avoid getting catfished is critical thinking and that if you just “lock in” and know who you’re talking to, you can avoid being catfished.
Establish North Carolina’s “Conan Day” on the 3rd of December (FB 33)
Millions of people worldwide love the song “Heather” by Conan Grey, but a group of delegates from Reynolds High School propose to take it a step further by creating a national holiday based around the line “I still remember, third of December, me in your sweater.” Celebration of this holiday could include gifting a sweater to a family member, a significant other, or even a stranger, and proponents of this bill point out that it will cost nothing to implement. Many people already celebrate “Conan Day” on December 3rd, but making it a national holiday would only provide more attention to a great song and a fun tradition with people you love.
