St. Luke student serves as page in Washington State Senate

Cody Dotson with Sen. Chase
Photo by LSS Photography

Cody Dotson, 14, served as a page in the Washington State Senate during the week of January 9, the first week of the 2017 Legislative Session. Sen. Maralyn Chase, D-32, sponsored Dotson’s week in the Legislature.

“It was so good to have Cody here to gain firsthand experience in the Legislature,” said Chase. “He is a bright student and it’s possible we will see him here in the future.”

During their week at the Capitol, pages learn about the legislative process while assisting senators and staff. They get to hear lectures from guest speakers and attend page school where they get to write their own bills in a mock committee setting. Dotson worked on legislation that would legalize the possession of a switchblade. His bill passed the committee with a large majority vote.

“It was interesting to see the process” said Dotson. “It helped me to appreciate how a bill becomes a law.”

Pages have several main responsibilities during the week that take them all around the Capital campus and give them access to places restricted to the general public. Their short journeys give the pages the opportunity to meet and speak with many people. For Dotson, this was the best part of his page experience.

“It’s been interesting to see people from all over the state in one place” said Dotson. “Meeting new people has been the best part of this experience.”

Dotson is currently in eighth grade at St. Luke School in Shoreline. He enjoys skiing and recently learned how to snowboard.

For more information about the Senate Page Program, contact SenatePageProgram@leg.wa.gov

See our previous article about legislative pages.