Stevens urges delegates to research parties

By Adeline Smidt

South Dakota Representative Mike Stevens advised Girls State delegates to research political parties and to become involved in whichever best represents their views Tuesday morning.

Stevens, who represents District 18 and serves as Majority Whip in the South Dakota House of Representatives, told delegates that political parties aren’t everything.

He then shared three ways a person’s political views can be shaped.

Birth, or factors no one can choose, is one thing that affects a person’s viewpoint.

The political stance of one’s parents falls into this category.

Events and people in a person’s life also affect what she or he believes.

To illustrate this, Stevens shared his own political history. He was born and raised a Democrat.

In college, he investigated political philosophies different than his own. In the end, he became a Republican.

During the 1970’s, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter influenced Stevens when they

were running for president; however, the person who influenced him most was Ronald Reagan.

In 2013, Stevens was elected to the state legislature. There he is able to act on what he believes.

As Majority Whip in the House of Representatives, he provides information to his fellow congressmen, to the governor and to the people he represents so they can act on it.

Stevens emphasized the need for Girls State delegates to make informed political decisions. He urged them to investigate what each party believes, choose which party best upholds their beliefs, and then to act on that.

Katie Patrick, a Seattle citizen, said Stevens’ emphasis on choosing a  party based on individual beliefs and not parents’ beliefs made an impression on her.

Los Angeles Senior Counselor Emily Luikens also appreciated that. She said Stevens was “very poised and extremely knowledgeable and wanted the girls to get involved.”