Imagine having your homework assignment become a state law. That's what happened to 20-year-old Katie McLean. She proposed a bill that was signed into law by Virginia Governor James Gilmore. The law fines people up to $250 if they litter is state parks.
How did it happen? Virginia lawmaker Kristen J. Admunson Visited Katie is fourth-grade class at Stratford Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia, and asked the class to write bill proposals as a homework assignment.
Katie chose to tackle littering. Adumnson liked her idea, and the bill passed both the house of Delegates and the State senate. The law took effect on July 1, 2001. Katie realizes that kids can make a difference. "It has made me think about what kids really can do,"she says.