More than 70 4-H and FFA students gathered at the Oklahoma state Capitol June 27-28 for Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s second annual Capitol Camp.

Formerly known as the Youth Legislative Experience, Capitol Camp is an immersive two-day experience for high school juniors and seniors to learn about Oklahoma’s legislative process.

The students learn how bills become law through a mock legislature held on the floor of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Among those who took part were Kingfisher High School’s Keynun Combs.

“It was an experience I will never forget,” said Combs, who will be a junior this year. He’s the son of Erin and Tom Newell and Chris and Jamie Combs.

“The privilege to hear the voices of my fellow young agriculturalists led me to believe that 4-H and FFA organizations bring a tremendous amount of education nobody could ever think about.”

Throughout the event, students in attendance had the opportunity to present and lobby a piece of legislation they wrote about an issue important to them. Bills were first heard in committees, and those that advanced were heard on the House floor.

Capitol Camp delegates elected a governor, speaker of the House and floor leader to run floor sessions in the House chamber both days.

“Bills created by the agricultural communities ranged from helping farm life become easier to sustain to annual firework sales,” Combs explained.

The group had dinner Tuesday night in the Phillips Pavilion at the Oklahoma Governor’s Mansion where they heard from Oklahoma House Speaker Pro Tempore Kyle Hilbert.

Students heard from a number of other guests during the two days, including Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, OKFB President Rodd Moesel, Oklahoma Institute of Child Advocacy CEO Joe Dorman and several members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

“I have developed relationships and wisdom for the future,” Combs said. “And I had the opportunity to attend a bill signing this past session.

“As it’s a field I am interested in working in, it was fascinating to see the process of an idea becoming law.”