By Siddharth Srinivasan
Picture this: you’re walking from first to second period, it’s 8:00 am, and you are trying to navigate your way to class amidst a chaotic sea of other high schoolers, but all of a sudden, the funnel of students you are traveling amongst comes to a standstill. You ask yourself, what could be the cause of this? Over the heads of the other students, you finally see what is causing the holdup: a couple engaging in Public Display of Affection (PDA) in the middle of the hallway. For some, this may not seem like such a big problem. But for delegates Du Mont, Taylor, and Watkinson from West Carteret High School, this issue needed to be addressed in House Bill 66, An Act to Ban PDA in All Public Schools.
The delegates’ bill would prohibit signs of intimate or sensual behavior on school property. If students violate this policy, they will receive a verbal warning at first, followed by possible detention, in-school suspension, and out-of-school suspension if the offense is repeated. The primary issue the bill authors want to address is students struggling to get to class on time due to “PDA congestion,” which occurs when couples showing signs of affection in the hallways create obstructions in already crowded areas. As someone who attends a school with nearly 1,000 students, more than it was initially intended for, the challenge of making it to class on time, especially when travelling between buildings, is something I clearly understand, and any obstructions to students’ on-time arrival should certainly be addressed.
During the initial debate on this bill, critics argued that schools should function as a second home for students. After all, students spend roughly 35 hours a week at school, so why shouldn’t they engage with others while they are there? The rebuttal to this, the bill authors explained, was that schools should be warm environments for students but also places where students focus primarily on their academic success, not on romantic relationships. As this bill continues to move through legislative chambers, the consensus on whether these sentiments hold will remain in flux.
By Annika Leak
As hundreds of high schoolers attend the 2026 YMCA Youth and Government conference, debates over the future of North Carolina’s education system are common. One issue before the Education Committee is Senate Bill 12, which proposes changes to the graduation requirements for every North Carolina student.
SB12, titled “Increase Postsecondary Readiness by Requiring Two Verified College or Trade School Visits for High School Graduation,” pushes for every public school student in the state to complete two verified visits to a college, trade, or technical school to earn their diploma.
For many of us at YAG, there is a lot of stress surrounding our plans after high school. SB12 attempts to build a support system to relieve some of that stress. Under this act, students can start taking visits in their first year, ensuring students are well informed and equipped to decide before their senior year in the spring.
A critique of the bill was the “barrier to entry,” as some students lack transportation to the campuses or reliable internet to take a virtual tour. The delegation from Greensboro anticipated these questions and outlined in Sections 3 and 4 that the schools must provide students with “reasonable access to technology” and some “instructional time during the day” to support the virtual tour.
The bill also broadly defines “college visits.” Students don’t necessarily need a car; they can also meet the requirement through career fairs, on-campus workshops, or guided virtual tours.
To ensure compliance, the bill states that students who fail to meet the requirement will not graduate until the standards are met. If you are interested in enlisting in the military or beginning an apprenticeship, that is permitted as well, but the state must ensure that every student has a plan before they graduate.
As SB12 is presented, debated, and revised this weekend, it serves as a reminder to us delegates that the goal of high school is not to finish and move on, but to be prepared for what comes next.
By Harris Carroll
House Bill 87, the Charlie Kirk Remembrance Day Act, proposes establishing September 10 as an annual symbolic observance day in North Carolina honoring Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA. Introduced by Samuel Cox and Trevor Wright, the bill states that its purpose is to promote civic engagement and encourage political participation, particularly among young people. The observance day would not create a legal public holiday, require school or government closures, mandate participation, or allocate new state funding. Schools, state agencies, and community organizations could host voluntary events or discussions on civic involvement and democratic participation using existing resources. Supporters say the bill provides an opportunity to recognize civic activism and create space for dialogue, while opponents raise concerns about establishing a state-recognized day connected to a political figure.
By Siddharth Srinivasan
It is widely recognized that teachers go above and beyond for their students. They educate them in subjects such as Math and English, instill integrity and collaboration, and, most importantly, help keep them safe. However, behind the scenes, many teachers have to do what the state often fails to accomplish: keep their classrooms stocked with supplies. At this year's conference, House Bill 56, proposed by delegates Hobgood and Rue from Faith Christian, seeks to address this issue by providing government subsidies to NC public school teachers for out-of-pocket school supply expenses.
As conveyed in their opening statement, North Carolina ranks second in the nation for out-of-pocket teacher expenses, with teachers spending an average of $1,600 or more annually on supplies such as pencils, crayons, and paper. 30% of teachers have to take on a second job to pay for supplies, and many feel guilty when they can’t provide them to students. This bill would address this issue by requiring the NC Education Lottery to use its monetary allocations to refund any out-of-pocket payments teachers make for their classrooms. Of course, this policy involves verification: teachers must submit receipts for their purchases to get reimbursed.
However, this initiative faced significant opposition, particularly because it is difficult to prove that teachers actually paid for the supplies, earning it a C in fiscal responsibility from a budget analyst.
Although the bill reached the House chamber, it failed to progress to the Senate. This legislation addresses a critical gap in affluent districts like Wake County, where insufficient support forces teachers to use their own funds to keep their classrooms stocked. Given the relatively low salaries teachers already earn, the notion of having to pay for their own classroom in a public school is incredibly unfair. While this bill may not have passed at YAG this year, I hope a version of it can come to fruition in the future for our state.
By Hannah Sutherby
Is it the luck of this bill's number or its purpose that gives it its popularity? House Bill 67, “Make NC Public Golf Courses Free For All Residents,” has stirred conversation across the Raleigh Convention Center and has even been recognized by our Youth Governor, Josh Brown. Under this bill, presented by representatives Martin and Roth of the YMCA of the Greater Charlotte, all public golf courses in North Carolina will be required to provide free tee times for North Carolina residents. Not only does this eliminate financial barriers for lower-income individuals who would like to enjoy golf, but it also promotes shared community spaces and improved physical and mental health for North Carolinians.
