Five 20-something legislators list education and rural development among their priorities, and their colleagues say they've brought "freshness" to the session.
Democratic Reps. Jasper Schneider, 27, of Fargo; Ben Vig, 23, of Aneta; and Chris Griffin, 26, of Larimore, join two 25-year-old Grand Forks Republicans, Rep. Stacey Dahl and Sen. Nick Hacker.
An independent mind is one benefit to being a young legislator, Hacker said. At the same time, he's been determined since the start to earn his fellow lawmakers' respect.
"There's a stigma out there - young kids going off to the Legislature, out there to be wined and dined, have a good old time," Hacker said. "I wanted to set a strong example: I'm here to work."
"I got a call right before the deadline to get a name on the ballot for the primary, so I agreed to," he said. "But I had interest in the past. I'd been involved in my district. The Democratic Party in my district is pretty small, so there weren't too many of us."
"But I think it's like with any position - you have to earn respect," Dahl said. "I think it's generally well received that young people do have something to say."
The four months at the Capitol haven't been all work and no play. The four young representatives have a "Tuesday night club," where they go out with other young people who are politically active to talk about ideas and just have fun.
"I know people are excited that young people are in office, and other people in the party are excited to steer us in the right direction for whatever the future brings. I'm really just fortunate to be where I am now," Vig said.
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