MARSHALL — The members of the Nationalist Party from the Boys State city of Hibbing took advantage of the bright sunny day Tuesday morning to hammer out its party planks.
As they sat in a circle, the boys discussed issues such as the gas tax, stricter punishment for drunken driving and putting parameters on hedge funds.
About 400 high school boys from around the state are participating in the annual American Legion Boys State camp at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall this week. The camp encourages attendees to participate in scenarios of local, state and national politics and to engage in civic activities.
On Tuesday morning, the cities created for Boys State conducted their caucuses and then moved into their county conventions where they selected 12 delegates from each party and talked more about the platform planks. Back in the Hibbing Nationalists discussion, Kyle Solly proposed lowering the gas taxes through four 10-hour workdays.
Cooper Buss brought up his concern on hedge funds, people using virtual money they may not have, as well as the risks.
With just little debate, Buss’ plank passed with a majority vote.
Buss said he knew a little about the issue before he presented it to his party.
“There was an article in the paper a while ago, and I talked to my dad about it,” Buss said.
Buss said he feels hedge funds are contributing to the economic conditions.
“The more loans you take out and speculations you do, the more you go into debt,” Buss said.
A few minutes later, Buss learned his party members voted to lower the drinking age down to 18.
“That’s kind of scary,” Buss said.
David Griffith wanted to make the laws on drunk driving a little stricter, more jail time and a stiffer penalty.
“I was talking to my barber about it,” Griffith said about his platform plank proposal.
Griffith said his barber’s nephew was killed by a drunk driver who was on his fourth or fifth offense.
Nate Klair’s platform called for people under 18 not having to pay taxes on income.
“I would like to point out we had a revolution on this discussion,” Klair said.
Taylor Swanson said his platform was having a lower cost on public colleges. Fellow party member Ethan Mathey asked where the extra money would come from.
“The taxpayers?” Mathey asked Swanson.
Dylan Wallace made a motion to have a Boys State Hibbing Legionnaires baseball team with funding for a stadium. His party members chuckled. Wallace waited for a second to his motion.
“Nobody wants to second a baseball stadium?” Wallace asked.
Griffith decided to give Wallace a second.
“I just want to see what the vote will be,” Griffith said.
Unfortunately for Wallace, the motion failed.
