Rosie’s Blog

Spring is in full bloom! The sun is shining (thank goodness), flowers are blooming, and allergy season has started. 🙁 Speaking of flowers blooming … It is a perfect time for making flower bouquets! Today as I was walking my dog, there were some flowers in the grass. I was able to make a mini flower bouquet! This is another perfect way to celebrate Earth Month, because flowers are everywhere! So, let’s enjoy this beautiful spring while we have it! Here is a photo of my flower bouquet:

Earlier in the year, I talked about testifying and shared a testimony. Although I sadly was unable to testify on House Bill 3018 in person, I had testimony here, but I was able to testify on House Bill 3014. The bill will establish the school district facility fund. This fund would give money to schools in rural or lower income areas, which could help them to be able to update their schools, and make them more climate resilient. Here is my testimony.

April is Earth Month! From March 22 to April 22 (Earth Day), we celebrate our planet and find ways to give back to nature. Here are five ways to honor and celebrate the Earth this month:

1. Compost
   Composting is an easy way to help reduce the waste we send to landfills. When we throw away food scraps, they break down in landfills and release methane gases into the air, which contribute to climate change. By composting at home, we can turn those scraps into nutrient-rich soil for our gardens, reducing waste and helping our planet at the same time. It’s a small change that can make a big difference for our Earth.
2. Plant a Tree
   Trees are vital for our planet. They absorb carbon dioxide, which helps fight climate change. Plus, they provide oxygen for us to breathe and offer homes for many animals. If you’re in the Portland area, you can even get a free tree to plant in your yard! Trees are beautiful, and planting one is a great way to make a positive impact on the environment.
3. Join the Oregon Treasure Quest
   Have you ever explored some of Oregon’s most famous landmarks? Senator Merkley’s Oregon Treasure Quest encourages people to discover amazing places around the state. By visiting at least 10 different counties from January to November 2025, you can participate in the challenge. Some famous spots include Multnomah Falls and Timberline. The best part? You’ll get to take selfies at these cool locations, and if you qualify, you might even win an invite to a special celebration party! For more details, check out the Oregon Treasure Quest website.
4. Clean Up Trash In Your Community
   You can help make our parks and neighborhoods in Oregon more beautiful by picking up trash, and respecting our Earth by not littering. Plus, you’ll be helping to keep local animals safe, as litter can sometimes harm wildlife.
5. Get Out In The Garden
   Gardening is a productive way to make a positive impact on the Earth. By pulling out invasive species, planting flowers, or making a vegetable garden you are helping improve Oregon for the better. You can help make our plants thrive.
   By taking part in these activities, you’re helping to protect and celebrate our amazing planet. Earth Month is a great time to get started, but remember—every month is Earth Month when we do our part to care for the world we live in!

Speaking of town hall’s… a while ago I was able to go and see one in person. On the panel there was Rep. Helm, Senator Lieber, Rep. Grayber and the mayor of Beaverton. During the town hall I saw how passionate Rep. Helm was on climate change. So I interviewed him on climate change and what it’s like to be a representative. I had a great time! I hope you learn a little more on climate change in Oregon!

One of the things I’ve been doing lately was going to the Kid Governor summit! The Kid Governor summit is where all the kid governors and their cabinet members across the country get together. But before all the cabinet members came, all the kid governors had a meeting to get to know each other. It was me, the kid governor from Oklahoma and New Hampshire, but the kid governor from Connecticut could not come. The kid governor from NH (New Hampshire) had a platform to stop animal testing. The kid governor from OK (Oklahoma) ran on the platform of addressing educational issues. Although I sadly was unable to meet the kid governor from CT (Connecticut) his platform was making schools safer and happier for kids. They were so nice and had such important issues they wanted to address. I had fun getting to know them. After our get together all the cabinet members from CT, NH, OK and all of my wonderful partners from OR came and joined us. Then, we had guest speakers talk about teamwork. Before the guest speakers came we were separated into groups, to talk about our platforms.

After the guest speakers came we were separated into the same groups and discussed what guest speakers had talked about. I had a great time getting to know them all!

Happy spring everyone! I’ve been doing a lot lately, so I’ll fill you in. On March 7, I had a town hall at my school, with Rep. Daniel Nguyễn​, Senate President Wagner, and my school’s student board member Sy Jones.

Those of you who have never been to a town hall, it works like this. Representatives and Senators, answer questions from community members about issues important to them, or about their community. The town hall at my school was a little different. It was hosted in our grade school’s gym, where fifth through eighth grade classes came. Kids who wanted to ask questions to us would come up to a microphone and ask one of us their question.

At first I was worried that I would jumble up my words, or say the wrong thing, but eventually I was able to block out my fear and speak from the heart. After that, I had an amazing time answering questions. But I think my favorite part of the day… was actually before the town hall. I was pulled out of math (yay!) and went downstairs to meet Rep. Daniel Nguyễn​, and Sy Jones to give them a tour of our school! Senate President Wagner was sadly unable to make it for the tour, but was still there for the town hall.

We weaved around the school building going from first grade classrooms to seventh grade classrooms. I had a wonderful time showing them around, and was proud to be able to spread my knowledge of climate change further!

If you wanted to do a town hall at your school, here is a potential schedule to help with planning.

Sample 1 Hour Tour/Assembly Schedule:

• 15 Minute Tour: Tour led by students and principal.
  • Tour ends at the assembly location for an approximately 45 minute assembly
    • (~5min) Opening act, student performance showcase!
    • (~10min) The Principal will open the town hall/assembly once panelists are on stage and have everyone introduce themselves. Suggested panel includes house and senate representation and student leadership.
    • (~25min) Questions to panel from moderator
      • Broad civics-related questions & legislative-focused questions.
        • Before the assembly students prepared questions in class with their teachers. Questions were collected on notecards. When called, a student comes up to the microphone and asks the question from the notecard.
      • Lighter questions (favorite type of pizza, what did you want to be when you grow up etc.) just for fun.
    • (~5min) Moderator turns over to panel for closing thoughts and/or a closing act, student performance showcase!
  • Event ends

What Matters To You?

Whatever it is you can speak up about it! Whether it’s protecting the environment, supporting your community, or standing up for something you believe in, your voice is powerful. In this blog post, I want to share the testimony I wrote to support a bill about composting. Composting helps the planet by turning food scraps into healthy soil, and it’s something I believe is really important. I hope that reading this inspires you to speak up about issues you care about, because I know that speaking up about what you believe in can make a big difference.

Testimony in Support of HB 3018 – Food Waste Disposal and Composting Policies

Chair and Members of the Committee,

My name is Rosie Lanenga, and I am Oregon’s 2025 Kid Governor. I want to express my support for HB 3018, a bill aimed at reducing food waste and promoting composting.

As someone who cares deeply about the environment, I believe this bill will help us protect our planet and our future. Right now, too much food gets thrown away, even when it could still be useful. Food waste ends up in landfills where it produces harmful gases that contribute to climate change. This bill would make sure that large food businesses compost their waste instead of throwing it away, which is better for the Earth.

One of the things I really like about this bill is that it encourages businesses to separate food waste and send it to places that can turn it into compost. Composting is really important because it helps create healthy soil for growing more plants and food. If we can turn food scraps into something useful, we can help reduce pollution and make our communities greener.

I also like how the bill will teach businesses about composting. The Department of Environmental Quality will help them set up systems to properly separate food waste, which makes it easier for everyone. This is important because, if people know how to do something right, they are more likely to do it.

I understand that there are concerns about the capacity to handle food waste as well as its definition. I think it’s important to recognize that while composting isn’t as simple as just throwing food away, it’s still the right choice for our environment, and we can work together to find solutions.

I believe any challenges can be addressed through careful planning and investment. We can look for creative solutions! With cooperation between the state, composting companies, and communities, I believe we can make sure that this bill’s requirements will be manageable and successful.

In my school, we try to reduce food waste by recycling and composting. I’ve learned that even small changes, like composting food scraps instead of throwing them in the trash, can make a big difference. If more businesses and people follow these steps, we could have a huge positive impact on the environment.

I encourage you to help our state move toward a cleaner and greener future. I hope that the challenges raised by the opposition will be worked out, and I trust that together we can find solutions to make food waste composting easier for everyone.

Sincerely,
Rosie Lanenga, Oregon’s 2025 Kid Governor

Inauguration Ceremony

Hi everyone! My name is Saanvi and I am a cabinet member for the 2025 Oregon Kid Governor program. I’m very excited to write my first blog and share my experience of the inauguration ceremony.

I woke up at 6:30 am, and rushed downstairs for breakfast. My mom gave me 3 pancakes – 1 big, 1 medium and 1 very very small , which I enjoyed with lots of maple syrup. After breakfast, I got ready. I wore a black dress with a pink blazer and really bothersome tights. Once I got ready, we all hopped in the car, to go to Salem.

Once we reached Salem, we parked and walked 2 blocks to the capitol building. We had to go through the security and after that through these “gold” elevators to the second floor. Then we went to the Senate Chambers where the event was being held. We were a little early and since my mom loves taking pictures, she started taking pics which got annoying for me (lol!). The room was dark brown with a wooden interior and lots of chairs and a podium right in the front. The podium had the US and Oregon flag and a screen. There was a big picture in the background saying “Oregon admitted into the union Feb 14th 1859.”

As I was sitting, one of the officials came and asked me if I was the 2024 kid governor? I felt like I should have said “yes” but I said “no” and then introduced myself.

I met Nikki Fisher in person and she gave me an envelope from the Oregon Governor. The envelope had the “Commemorative reprint and transcription of the original 1857 Oregon state constitution.” It had a printed version on the left hand side and the original cursive copy on the right hand pages. The other highlight was a letter signed by the Governor. I am very excited to be able to have such rare souvenirs.

As the event started, we had Secretary of State,(SoS) Tobias Read welcoming us. After that, the 2024 kid governor gave the pledge of allegiance, then the former Chief Justice invited all the cabinet members to come upfront and go to the podium. There I shared my 3-point plan about my platform of “Reducing Homelessness and providing basic amenities to those unhoused” Then the former Chief Justice gave cabinet members the “Oath of Office” and at the end said, “I do.” Then the 2025 kid governor gave her speech followed by closing remarks from SoS. After the event, I took pics with SoS and the former Chief Justice.

There were Oregon shaped cookies so I decided to take and share them with my teacher and principal.

There was a local reporter who was invited to interview all the kids. We were not given any list of questions to prepare for the interview. She asked me about my platform and how it started, what I do and who helped me. At the end, she asked my mom to join for the interview and share how as a parent she felt about the program. I was very happy to have an opportunity to interview with my mom.

It was a long but very memorable and fun day and I can’t wait to start working on my 3-point plan and collaborate with all during my term!

Hi, everyone! I’m Rosie, Oregon’s new Kid Governor! I am happy to have the opportunity to serve you. I am excited for our year ahead together!

I thought I’d start off the year with posting about my inauguration. I remember being excited and nervous at the same time! I made a list the night before of all the things I needed to do to prepare for my big day. When the morning came, I was hasty to complete my list (eat breakfast, practice speech…) and was ready for the long, one hour drive to Salem.

Before my inauguration however, my family and I were invited to have a tour of the archives. The exhibitions and documents were all so wonderful and interesting to see.

After, my family and I headed to the capital for my swearing in. When we arrived in the Senate chamber, I was impressed at its beauty. From the deep brown of the wood to all of the flowers! Shortly after we took our seats, I was given a packet from the Governor. It contained Oregon Travel Magazines, a map of Oregon, her FAMILY CASSEROLE RECIPE, and much more!:) As the program proceeded I was able to hear from Secretary of State Tobias Reed, our outgoing Kid Governor Shah, and from my amazing cabinet members that I am lucky enough to get to work with this year!

Then, it was time to deliver my speech! I remember being so proud to be able to help lead our stunning state, and try to protect it from Climate Change. After the reception I had my first interview as the Oregon Kid Governor!

I was able to meet Senate President Rob Wagner, tour his office, and take some photos with him. I even held the gavel!!

That wraps up my inauguration. I am happy to serve you all in 2025!