Texas Youth and Government

By Naomi Alexander

The use and abuse of deep fakes.

Austin, TX – Living in the 21st century, we can use advanced technology to make everyday life easier. Year by year technology improves unlocking new ways we can use it. In 2024, one of the most popular forms of technology is social media. And the main concern in this article is the use of social media, particularly sharing A.I. Artificial intelligence has been taking the world by storm with 77%of devices in use featuring some form of A.I. (Fact by AuthorityHacker January 10, 2024.) Its use isn’t just shared on social media but also in businesses, health care facilities, film production, and many other areas. 81.6% of digital marketers think content writer’s jobs are at risk because of A.I. Today in first committees, a State Affairs proposal presented in Committee 5 spoke on this very issue. Delegate Gali and Delegate Iyengar presented their proposal concerning deep-fake regulations. Their major area is affecting the general population of Texas and social media companies operating in Texas.

In summary from the proposal book, they proposed that the Texas legislature will be enforcing social media corporations including, but not limited to Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, to ban all deep-fake content concerning real-world individuals or events with the intent to harm the general public. All major social media companies and search engines would have to implement this policy regardless of their status and inform their viewers/ subscribers of these changes before the policies take effect.

Adding on, to platforms that have sections for children 14 and younger, all deepfakes will be banned irrespective of their content or intent. These policies will not ban or restrict comedy because these are forms of free speech and artistic expression. These policies would also have consequences ranging from account cancellation to legal prosecution. This proposal sparked debates on the advantages and negative effects of deep-fake A.I. on the real world. Regardless, current data suggests that A.I. adoption will keep rising faster as technology keeps improving. It is up to jobs and platforms to see how they’re going to regulate it in regard to human rights and dignity.

By Amarys Rodriguez

On February 2nd, 2024, the case of the State of Texas vs. Alex Greene was brought to trial. The prosecution, consisting of attorneys from District 5, Alli Mitchell and Jake Kleinjan brought forth evidence that the defendant, Officer Alex Greene, should be found guilty of felony murder in the first and second degree. To prove their case they called forth three witnesses, Sage Alexander, the nephew of the victim Kamari Jenkins, Leighton Shields, a fellow police officer of Alex Greene, and Breslin Barajas, a forensic pathologist that examined the body of Kamari Jenkins. Through each witness they built their case brick by brick, that the “reckless actions” of Alex Greene should be the reason for his conviction, because as attorney Alli Mitchell emphasized in her opening statement, “Kamari Jenkins was simply trying to protect her castle”.

In contrast, the defense attorneys, Keri Collins and Adelaide Cowden from District 2, argued that Officer Greene had to make a “split-second decision, in a life or death situation”. Through the testimony of their three witnesses Ferrin Glass, Officer Alex Greene, and Bellamy Fraye, they emphasized that Officer Greene acted in accordance with his department policies in taking the shot against Kamari Jenkins that resulted in her death.

As each side defended their case, in an effort to prove or disprove the burden of the prosecution, in the end with the two bangs of a gavel, the “Prosecution has not met their burden on count one, felony murder, but has met their burden on count two, they will be charged for count 2, felony murder.” This was ultimately a trial of responsibility, in a case like this how does one hold an officer accountable for defending his life, yet ending the life of another?

By Krrish Mohammed

We have seen many cases of police misconduct, and this case is no different. Kamari Jenkins was shot dead on November 22, 2022. Office Alex Greene shot Ms. Jenkins in the arm, which made her go into cardiac arrest and die a horrible death. According to Ferrin Glass, the neighbor, she saw that the lights were on, and the door was wide open. She stated, “It felt different and unusual for her place to be in that condition.” Ms. Glass immediately called the police to check on her neighbor. How would have known calling the police would have been a grave mistake? Many cases like this have happened before, Cohen Simpson and David S. Kirk wrote an article about this topic in which they researched police misconduct, and they found that many police officers are committing misconduct and influencing other officers. Another article written by Mackenzie Boyer talks about George Floyd’s death how it was unjust, and how it violated people’s rights. We can see that law enforcement has a lot of laws, and police misconduct is an issue that needs to be heard by everyone. Many innocent people are dying due to this issue. We need to take a plan of action to deal with this issue. I propose to improve and better the training methods for police trainees. We must work together to save us and everyone around us.

Sources:

Simpson, C. R., & Kirk, D. S. (2023). Is Police Misconduct Contagious? Non-trivial Null Findings from Dallas, Texas. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 39(2), 425–463. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10940-021-09532-7

Boyer, M. (2023). “I Can’t Breathe”: How Recording the Police Can Save a Life and the Justice System. Widener Law Review, 29(2), 241– Save 262.

By Amina Ahmed

Kevin Arputharaj battles adolescent mental illness.

Austin, TX – Delegate, Kevin Arputharaj, presents bill HB119 and brings forth change in public high schools across the state. Arputharaj’s bill is an act allocating funding for mental health programs for high schools in the state of Texas. The delegate declares his bill an emergency, rightfully so, and his bill advocates for the mental health and academic readiness of high school students who seem disregarded and lacking in incentive for education.

Within the 2021 article by the World Health Organization, studies illustrate, “Globally, it is estimated that 1 in 7 (14%) 10–19 year-olds experience mental health conditions (1), yet these remain largely unrecognized and untreated. Arputharaj’s bill combats the growing number of adolescents struggling with mental health issues and improves academic performances in high schools by providing a support system for our youth to depend on. Arputharaj introduced the bill to the committee by including logistical and financial plans, taking into account recent studies on adolescent mental health as well as the availability of counselors in the state of Texas. The delegate persuades his fellow peers by presenting the necessity of the bill, arguing “We’re not just throwing money at the situation, we are reconstructing the foundation for school” and continues by explaining, “The bill encourages future counselors through scholarship programs and insuring a pipeline of passionate individuals. This bill will result in a healthier effect, building a healthier society and empowering students by addressing mental issues through school…”.

Arputharaj refutes the con arguments of peers’ who believe his bill encourages financial issues and the depleting amount of counselors per high school by explaining his bill’s plan of action. The delegate plans on starting with a reasonable baseline fund, and see how the program kicks off from that point. He furthers his point by connecting poor academic performance demonstrated by high schoolers to the rising number of adolescents with mental illnesses. Arputhara concludes his presentation strongly and leaves a lasting impression of concern and change-making with his fellow peers resulting in the approval of his bill. This young delegate is bringing change to our struggling youth and acts to prevent mental illness on the rise.

Citations: https://www.who.int/news-
room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health

By Medah Rapuri, Greenhill High School

Less about the typical “good intentions” & more about “genuine passion”

The Legislative section in Youth and Government contains very passionate delegates. They often choose to create bills concerning the issues that they deeply care about. Notably, Prabath Girish, a devoted Junior from the Greenhill delegation, stands out as a beacon of clear passion in this community.

Girish’s bill aims to address homelessness in Texas. It’s provisions include fund reallocation. Involving allocation of 10% for building new shelters, 55% for maintaining existing shelters (increasing to 65% after 2025), 20% for financial support to homeless individuals, and 15% for additional policy actions or ongoing projects.

The bill also repeals Texas House Bill 1925, which addresses camping prohibitions for homeless individuals. The heart of the bill lies in the Homelessness Education Program, which mandates life skills education in areas like financial literacy and resume writing, with a curriculum that cycles quarterly. Shelters must have two certified employees trained by the state to teach these skills. The educational program requires a minimum of three classes per week at various time slots. Penalties are outlined for shelters failing to meet requirements, including warnings and, in certain cases, the replacement of shelter leadership. The bill is set to take effect at the beginning of the 2025 Fiscal Year after the adjournment of the Youth Legislature.

Despite having a reduced opponent/proponent discussion time, Girish secured a favorable committee recommendation for his bill. Facing a single opponent, Girish addressed concerns effectively. In the end, the bill had one amendment, meant to increase funding for shelters. However, this strategic amendment only bolstered support. The committee’s positive recommendation for senate action highlighted Girish’s leadership, adaptability, and commitment to community welfare.

When asked about the inspiration behind his bill, Girish revealed a deep passion for addressing homelessness.

In an interview, Girish states his experience on having “seen people who’ve had to experience homelessness and the failure of the current
system.”He claims his bill “designs a massive overhaul for the system to better it.”

In an interview, Akash Bose, a new member of Legislative, praises Girish on his ‘passion for his bill & love for debate.’ Girish, having shared his personal experience and commitment to improving the system, receives acknowledgment not only for his dedication but also for his skill in fostering meaningful discussions within the Legislative community.”

Girish has been an active participant in the Legislative program since 6th grade. This year, he has taken a significant step by running for Youth Governor, showcasing his evident passion for the democracy and the government. Looking ahead, he aspires to pursue a career in law, driven by his experience in making a positive impact through his time as a Legislator in Youth and Government.

By Rigoberto Frausto Martinez

As the question “Should Potassium Bromate be used as an ingredient for popular foods?” arises. We will be talking about the opposing views that answer the given bill. We will find out if the bill passed or not and any information that is proposed with it.

FOR

Potassium bromate is commonly found in large quantities in major distribution bread companies. “Several studies have shown that potassium bromate has acute and chronic health effects” (Ncheuveu Nkwatoh, 1. Introduction). These health issues include damage to liver cells, intestines, and DNA.” if you didn’t know”, DNA that gets damaged and altered will most likely cause cancer in the person consuming potassium bromate. The entire point of this bill is to instill and define the usage of this ingredient found in many cheap and popular foods. Many corporations know these health risks but care more about the profit coming in from sales of these products instead of the consumers’ lives. “Potassium bromate used in wheat flour is also already regulated by the FDA, limiting it to 0.0075 parts per 100 of the flour by weight” (Jade Jurdi, article). FDA is aware of the risks but truly can’t do anything to limit huge corporations, for they find loopholes and walk over any restrictions that are not enforced. The bill that was proposed, instilled that these companies would have to pay certain fines based on the number of times they would be found with these harsh chemicals and would also be enforced in a suitable but strict manner. There would probably be no drawbacks if companies were to follow the restrictions, in advance, there is a common and cheaper healthier alternative that could be used to replace potassium bromate (acidic acid).

AGAINST

As you may conclude, changes in manufacturing can be quite slow and demanding at times when distributed in large quantities. With this in mind, what are we going to do about all the people that heavily depend on these cheap foods derived from Potassium Bromate? The decrease in the supply of these products can impact a great variety of people in vast communities. Not only is there a substantial backlash from ingredient changes, but there is a problem with the restrictions imposed by the FDA. The FDA will probably not truly enforce the restrictions on the huge corporations, but on the contrary, on the small businesses that rely on Potassium Bromate as a cheap source for their local produce. How would the restrictions introduced to local businesses affect the local production of bread? This would heavily impact their production and the locals being provided with the bread.

In conclusion to these opposing sides, the delegates of the legislative house & senate comity 11 in suite 4 voted “for” the passing of this bill.

Citations:

• Ncheuveu Nkwatoh, t., fon, t. P., & navti, l. K. (2023). Potassium bromate in bread, health risks to bread consumers and toxicity symptoms amongst bakers in Bamenda, North West region of Cameroon. Heliyon, 9(2), e13146. – Https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13146
• California becomes the first American jurisdiction to ban four chemicals in foods. Steptoe. (n.d.). – Https://www.steptoe.com/en/news-publications/california-consumer-chemicals-law-blog/california-becomes-the-first-american-jurisdiction-to-ban-four-chemicals-in-foods.html