Henry Siravo, a Smithfield High School student, speaks in support of Rep. Leonela Felix’s bill at a March 26, 2024, meeting of the House Committee on State Government and Elections. (Screencap/Capitol TV)
They can serve as pages in the General Assembly. They can drive a car. They can give blood . They can consent to medical care , or sex . They can work 48 hours in a week and pay taxes on these earnings. They can put that money in a savings account they’ve opened.
These are some things 17-year-olds can do in Rhode Island, and a few apply to 16-year-olds as well. A recent pair of bills brought to the State House would give older teenagers one more privilege: the ability to vote in elections for their local school committees.
“Students go to the meetings, they can talk at the meetings, they can give all the ideas that they want,” said Henry Siravo, 17, a senior at Smithfield High School. “But at the end of the day, how often do they get listened to? We get brushed off as kids.”