The Ohio House of Representatives is one of two chambers that make up Ohio's legislative branch. All members of the Ohio House must be U.S. citizens, 18-years or older, and reside in the districts from which they are elected. A new legislative session is assembled every two years on the first Monday in January of the odd-numbered years. However, since there is no limit on the days the General Assembly may convene, it can respond immediately to emergency situations. While in session, the Ohio House generally meets Tuesday through Thursday. Committee meetings may be held any time before or after floor sessions. Both are open to the public.
Currently, the Ohio House of Representatives is searching for qualified undergraduate students for volunteer internships and legislative page positions. Interning and paging for the legislature provides an opportunity for self-motivated, outgoing college students to gain an understanding of the legislative process by actively participating in it. The duties that will be assigned to each intern will vary due to each office having different agendas and constituent caseloads. Typical intern assignments include such duties as constituent outreach, constituent correspondence, and response, researching, filing, drafting letters, data entry, etc. Typical Page assignments can include distributing documents, photocopying, retrieving materials from other governmental offices, and delivering messages between members. Working on the floor of the Ohio House of Representatives, Legislative Pages assist with the preparation for Session, and provide a range of services to help members and their staff do their jobs properly and to facilitate the smooth functioning of the Legislature. Legislative Pages often have extensive contact with the public when handling telephone calls for members' offices, delivering mail and messages, and greeting visitors to the House of Representatives.
Interning and paging is a great way to gain resume experience, meet many people and expand your knowledge of how state government operates on the legislative level. Former interns and pages have benefited from their service by acquiring professional experience, school credit, contacts, and in some instances full-time legislative staff positions after their graduation.
