FRANKFORT, Ky. (February 8, 2017) – Through a bipartisan effort in the Kentucky
State Senate, Senator Danny Carroll (R-Paducah) and Senator Dennis Parrett
(D-Elizabethtown) introduced the “Sunny Page” program to encourage children with
disabilities to participate as pages in the Senate.
“The purpose of this program is to ensure that children with disabilities and their
families are aware of the opportunity to serve as a page,” Senator Carroll said. “We
also want to ensure that there are no barriers preventing a child with disabilities
from participating in the experience of serving as a daily page in the Senate.”
As it stands, The Kentucky Senate and House of Representatives both have established
page programs. The Senate’s page program is under the leadership of the Senate
Clerk, Donna Holiday. Currently, the Senate’s page program is divided into either
full-time pages or daily pages.
“We believe this program will enhance education for children with disabilities by
first-hand participation and exposure to state government/political process,
increasing self-confidence, self-esteem and a sense of being a part of the honored
tradition of public service,” Senator Parrett said.
“This is a wonderful program that allows our students with disabilities to observe
our law-making process and our government in action,” Senate Democratic Leader Ray
S. Jones said. “I commend Senators Parrett and Carroll for taking the initiative to
get this program started.”
“By participating in the Page Programs, it is hoped that students are more likely to
actively engage in becoming more educated and aware and also more involved in the
political process and democracy as adults,” Senate President Robert Stivers said.
The Senate page program has always been open to students with disabilities and all
students; the “Sunny Page” program was designed to teach and further promote the
process of state government to children with disabilities.
Both Senator Carroll and Senator Parrett have daughters with special needs and
wanted to initiate the “Sunny Page” program to honor their daughters. The senators
said they chose the name “Sunny Page” because the presence of these kids is sure to
brighten everyone’s day.
Senator Carroll and Senator Parrett also said that they were in the process of
planning a press availability with other senators in the near future to further
educate the public on the Sunny Day Page Program and encourage children from across
the Commonwealth to sign up and be a part of the political process in Frankfort.
For further inquiries regarding the Sunny Day Page Program, please contact Senator
Danny Carroll via email, at
Danny.Carroll@LRC.ky.gov<mailto:Danny.Carroll@LRC.ky.gov> or Senate Clerk Donna
Holiday, at Donna.Holiday@LRC.ky.gov<mailto:Donna.Holiday@LRC.ky.gov>. To schedule a
child to serve as a “sunny page,” please contact Senate Clerk Donna Holiday’s office
at the email listed above.