did unanimously picked a resolution encouraging students to exercise their right their voting rights in the means we have set up a mechanism in which to teach voter registration, voter education, to our students in american democracy classes also have a mechanism in which to register them to vote. >> testifier: i want to say thank you to supervisor avalos for bringing this for kid's incredible to see the leadership of our young people, of our youth commission, and to see actualize here today for the full commission meeting with the board of supervisors. i think there's any doubt in her mind our young people are prepared to exercise their voice in our elections, it is proven that through this process and the way they practice forward. they demonstrated how serious they are. it shall not just ready but they're already leading in their communities, and so we as school district, we witness their leadership and brilliance every day. we know they are prepared for this. we know that we need their voice in our city governance and were also prepared at the school district to make sure that we are registering young people to vote in our classrooms, when their juniors and seniors in high school and we are preparing them to integrating into our curriculum the voter registration process, the local election process american democracy so that we really actualize the two benefits of this opportunity, which is to have our wind people up when their 16 and 17 all the young people who are here who are students to actually have them with us so we can support them in their participation because we know we need your voice and your there so many more reasons when even on tonight as to why not only should we do this we need to do this. this is a huge opportunity for san francisco to lead answer event unified school district is fully in support. >> testifier: i'd also like to mention when we see our students and visit the classrooms and if you haven't i encourage you to do so. we see brought with it we see students engaged. we see students interested. we also see students that are anxious to vote to represent their families when some members of their family cannot vote. so, to have this voice in municipal elections, it's really strong statement, i think to say that we include the voices of everyone in our democracy and also our students, young voters are more we found research shows there is a voting is that the average age of a voter is 46 years old and i think reaching should change the get civic engagement starts early in his recent are used off to college of even more active as college students. bob is added knowledge of their responsibility to be part of the governance of where they live and also, i encourage them to activate to the school board members. >> president breed: i see the director of elections john-just wanted to thank you for being his. >> testifier: i don't have anything prepared to include voters who are under 18. week if we could it would take a lot of change in the process and in the registration system we have. everything is based on voters being 18 and over. so, even a database that holds the information from which we draw information for formatting the ballots and reporting results have to undergo some modifications. the challenge there and why we can't get a cost at this point is the state now is about to implement a statewide database. it's not just a local registration pool of information but statewide pool of information. as we are pulling the data to run elections for locally for a certain set of voters, that have to be modified at the state level much is locally. i'm sure we'll have to figure out how to modify the roster of voters, the poll workers, giving some cards to certain sets of voters versus giving all cards to voters. so there will be some things to work out to going forward, but as we move forward we can probably get a cost estimate once we get a sense of what needs to be changed as far as the registration database and things like that are concerned. >> president breed: to a follow-up question. to be clear, i realize that you for passing this on a local level that means that on the state and federal level we would not be able to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in those particular elections and would need to have separate ballots for local measures and local candidates only? >> testifier: correct >> president breed: so you would need to make changes to the system? >> testifier: yes >> president breed: would this be a problem with the state secretary of state treat you how we done work with communicating with the secretary of state of whether or not we can legally do this they would challenge our city if we move this forward? >> testifier: no. right now the statewide database is just now being implemented so the impetus has been to get that database developed and get it started statewide. there has not been conversation about modifications and also any sort of legal potential restrictions by making modifications on the local level on the statewide system. no, the answer is no. >> president breed: answers no, we have not >> testifier: i have not approached the secretary of state's office at this time asking if the database or if voting restrictions because of a 16 or 17-year-old border base in san francisco. speak >> president breed: thanks. supervisor avalos >> president breed: >> supervisor avalos: have you got an estimate of the number of people who be registering to vote are at as 16 and 17-year-old in san francisco? has a been a number even look at? >> testifier: no >> supervisor avalos: i think they found it to be about 13,000 people >> testifier: i think we came up with that number ourselves looking at census information and that's an estimate. i don't know the youth commission i don't know how we came about the number. so, right now it seems like a good estimate would be 10-13,000. >> supervisor avalos: what's the overall number of people in san francisco from how many people- >> testifier: 450,000 >> supervisor avalos: so 10,005 four 50,000, which is what less than 1%. i think it's important to note with the youth commission presentation, the focus is really on increasing turnout and civic participation in our elections. that is really what we're trying to do with this small number of people per election cycle, is to ensure they get into the habit and have the experience of voting when they're in a stable community and stable household when they're in school with these these things happening. i just want to make sure the message that the number it's a small number. that's political is greater participation. >> president breed: thank you supervisor avalos supervisor cohen >> supervisor cohen: thank you for joining us in the special meeting conniving at the store, right supervisor avalos? first of its kind. director, could you might attach on the so little bit in your answer to president breed squash made him a little more interested in the process how we would implement something like this. i'm also very sensitive to the cost associated tohim him and tina spoke it am wondering, we have not talked about the right to vote will they also have the ability to contribute to campaigns as well? >> testifier: that latter question, i don't. i would be more of a ethics question. >> supervisor cohen: how do we implement such a system? >> testifier: we have to run two elections essentially. so, we have to separate out the folks who are under 18 and voting only for local offices and develop materials and ballots for those voters specifically. >> supervisor cohen: were taught what the voter pamphlet, right? would be a special ballots also be just issued to be young voter? >> testifier: it was not consolidated election, no but yes it was not a consultant election, yes, we have to separate out your princes this june primary upcoming, we have local measures but we also federal and state offices. so we have to separate the local from the states and the federal . i don't know how far-i guess it would cover committee college as well. i don't know. so you give me called were included in this charter amendment they would go into the local but if it didn't have the have to be separate as well. then, in the joe's recent two voters would probably have to be modified to give the correct information. you don't want to give people the sense that all the information on the ballot is available to them if only certain amount is. so we probably have to develop a different sort of voter guide. then, the process of the polls we have to look at that because the poll workers have to be able to know what ballot to give to which voters. so, really the whole voting process would have to be reviewed and be a lot of modifications along the way to put this into effect. >> supervisor cohen: how quickly would be able to implement a system like this? >> testifier: not this year. really, for me, right now were right in the middle of the presidential cycle with 27 thing is really when we can begin to look at this. >> supervisor cohen: handwaving into cost out or get any cost estimates on what the additional cost will be to implement a system? >> testifier: not real. i don't want to throw a number out to.[[inaudible] the younger voters. >> supervisor cohen: other younger voters in the database three give you have to be registered right? >> testifier: right now they can register but there in a pending status until they're 18 until they're eligible to vote. i know very can be entered into the system but are not active voters. we have to change that survey would be active. but a different category of active versus now how the system is set up >> president breed: thank you. supervisor tang >> supervisor tang: it's exciting to see the youth here with us today. and to be able to sit with all of you actually on the board of floor. i want to thank our board for making that happen. i do consider myself a youth commissioner of sorts on this board having joined at age 29. but, i do have a couple of questions. i think this might be directed more towards the school board members. so, i know the was a resolution passed regarding the american democracy curriculum and i just want to can ask, this is of course sought 19 year year of high school is that accurate? >> testifier: american democracy is normally taught in senior year. >> supervisor tang: i guess my follow-up question would be, would it be concerned that as we are trying to develop a curriculum to prepare our students to be able to actively participate in elections earlier on in their life, that this is not senior and potentially they would have to move on to college but he shortly thereafter. so, is there a way to potentially prepare students even earlier than that? >> testifier: absolutely pure we many required courses in civics. for example our us history last week it interjected in a. our students are also eligible to take ethnic studies that include, could include, voter education component to it also. commissioner haney >> testifier: yes. i think there's other things we can do we have assemblies were reregister post about we could do boater education we can bring people in. i think we would integrate specifically into the american democracy course in detail and also try to put it into other courses and have other opportunities throughout the school year to be able to provide both of voter education and voter registration. >> testifier: i think it's important to note we also do [inaudible] that has been started in high school years not just for seniors. >> supervisor tang: thank you very much >> president breed: thank you supervisor tang. supervisor weiner >> supervisor wiener: thank you matter president. also, welcome to the youth commissioners. it's great to have a really full chamber here today. so, a couple things. some comments in terms of the question of director. because we are very unlikely to have an election in 2017, we don't have election currently scheduled in 2017, thanks to the charter amendment replaced on the ballot in the voters overwhelmingly passed, i believe between if this were to pass in november that apartment would have 19 months to prepare. is that right >> testifier: i did read the amendment before i came up here actually. >> supervisor wiener: if this charter amendment were to pass, assuming there are local elections, local offices in june 2018 now, if this were to pass in november of 2016, because we don't have election and 20 something you basically have a year and a half, plus at minimum to prepare whatever systems it you need to have in place to administer 16 and 17-year-old voting? >> testifier: yes. there's no federal elections and 27. >> supervisor wiener: if it would be a special election that could change things. then, in terms of separate ballots, right now it's because there's still too close primaries for party central committee for presidents, you already have to prepare the separate ballots and poll workers have to determine that it is this get eight republican ballots were democratic ballot or green party ballot. so different people have-everyone gets a certain portions of the ballot different people do different portions on the right? >> testifier: yes >> supervisor wiener: with is the measurably different from that? always these different criteria but in terms of having some people get her next page were different page? it doesn't seem that different? >> testifier: no, it's similar to what occurs now. but it would be more stuff for the poll workers to handle and also for the polls to receive. again, i'm not saying it's impossible, saying there's nothing similar but it will be a change in many cases. >> supervisor wiener: it'll definitely be a change. my own view is that whatever you on the merits of-the administration of it does not strike me as particularly problematic. >> testifier: okay >> supervisor wiener: on that one doing it oh of course. you guys do a great job. thank you. >> president breed: thank you. supervisor campos >> supervisor campos:. i just want to briefly, again, echoing comments made the comments of my colleagues welcomed the youth commission to the board of supervisors chamber. it is history in the making and a very proud. i know my own district youth commissioner-as i look at this issue and i know that many my colleagues of how we question the rise, in terms of the viability and legality of this issue i think were plenty of time, as supervisor weiner noted, if this makes it is about, but i think it's also about, for us, much as whether specifically agree with this substance of the proposition, but whether or not you agreed voters should have the ability to decide and placing it on the ballot could it does not mean you actually endorsed the idea. my hope is that people will endorse the idea could i certainly endorse it and support it, but i think beyond that, i think the key thing here is, should voters in san francisco have the ability to decide whether not this make sense for san francisco and i think perspective of where you format, that we should err on the side of giving voters a chance. that's what i hope happens eventually. >> president breed: thank you supervisor campos. supervisor cohen >>[adjournment] question two deputy city attorney john gibner. i think this is a good interesting debate policy discussion we are having. but i do have some questions about the legality. we had from the director we have not quite checked in with the-[inaudible] and the california constitution requires a person be 18 years of age or older in order to vote. courts previously determined local governments cannot expand or extend this part of the conversation, extend the right to vote those who are not granted the right in california state constitution. so just so they can choose to restrict that we cannot choose, localities cannot choose to include or disenfranchise were in franchise, those rights to of under the california constitution it could you please opine on this particular legislation? >> testifier: deputy city attorney john gibner. as with all ordinance and charter amendment and proposed ballot measures considered by the sport, my office will approve any proposal as performed if it can be defended with arguments and courts. as you know, our office sign this piece of legislation and you can take that as an indication that it is legally defensible. we regularly provide the board with confidential written advice in advance of hearings on any legal issues that have come up in public discussion, or that we have uncovered in our research and, of course, the question of the california constitution setting the voting age of 18 question has been raised in the context of this charter amendment. we decided to [inaudible] confidential i think that's all i can say. >> president breed: thank you supervisor stan. supervisor peskin >> supervisor peskin: members of this body and the youth commission, this is-i'm delighted >> president breed: you rise to- >> supervisor peskin: i do like. i'm delighted we voted unanimously to oldest joined him. i cannot member any other time in my decade and a half in and out of this body that we held joint hearings with any other body. as i've been thinking about this, and i come to this i do not talk to a few of my colleagues without violating the brown act, i come to this with an inclination to vote against it, but as i said to somebody if 50% open mind. i think about this in the long arc of history, where we live in a country where at a certain point in time, only property owners could vote and at a later point in time, women got the franchise, and when i was on the board of a decade ago, we actually took a run at having individuals be able to vote in school board races who were not citizens of the united states of america, which ultimately, did not pass. i am remarkably compelled by the notion that getting people to start voting and investing in the political process early is the right thing to do. i do agree, it is habit to get when people ask me what my party registration is, i say parents were democrats. i was born a democrat i will always be a democrat. it's like being jewish. it just the way i was born. but, i want to, through pres. breed pose a question to the author of this charter amendment, which is, do you consider the possibility, because i think would meet my fundamental task which is bending the arc of history to expanding voter rights and participation, investing people in the process. my question to supervisor avalos through the president, is whether there was any consideration of starting this cutting-edge san francisco as usual leading the way effort with starting with the school board races as the first step. that is my question. >> supervisor avalos: i will write to answer that question. >> president breed: is not the same but go ahead >> supervisor avalos: am actually standing up though. this was a measure that came to us from the youth commission and that was josh-my appointee on the youth commission was the one who brought this into the discourse of the youth commission and the commission brought it to the board of supervisors. so, what i have done in terms of your commission being an advisory to the board take up the legislation at their request. so, their request was to actually have young people vote in municipal elections. that's what i wanted to start as well. it made a lot of sense that be here at city hall it's not just the school district that makes decisions for young people, but there's all kinds of decisions made for young people here in board chamber and in our departments that don't always make their own rules about how they directed towards young people so to me it makes sense we extend this right to vote for them to have a say so in all the institutions they interact with here in san francisco, and that is were i started from. >> president breed: thank you. follow? >> supervisor peskin: i was remiss in not acknowledging the phenomenal work of the youth commission or from district 3, erika-to my left who actually represents me in any number of community forums for which i'm and internally grateful because, as we know it of limited amounts of staff for a resource oh think you commissioner for that. but i want to also pose the same question to chair avalos or the appropriate member of your body relative to the notion that adjusts wording could i understand you come forward with the entire package of municipal elections, but want to hear your response to the notion that i set forth a few moments earlier? >> president breed: which can you repeat it? speak >> supervisor peskin: how would the youth commission feel about starting this effort off with participation in school board elections as opposed to all municipal elections? >> president breed: chairman autos >> >> testifier: i will answer. so, the supervisor avalos mentioned, this was a resolution brought forth by his appointee last year. we brought this motion with the hope that he will be implemented on the school board and also the city and county level. there has been talk, whether across is best to start with the school board or with the strategy will be. but our original intent was to bring this to the city and county including the school board, including the board of trustees for city college including local ballot measures. >> president breed: thank you very much. anything else, supervisor peskin? think. supervisor mar >> supervisor mar:_to step around the side and say i'm pleased all the young people here with us. i do want to knowledge chairman avalos the immigrant rights committee-based organizations are engaged in a discussion about the issue of expanding voting rights for immigrant parents of youth that are in the school district and i think that's an ongoing discussion, not just here in san francisco expanding democracy for immigrant parents throughout this country and kathy: immigrant rights coalition, immigrant rights commission and victor lynn for my office are convening a meeting to have that discussion, but i just acknowledge that besides supervisor avalos and chair avalos, the youth commission showing tremendous courage and leadership for moving this forward and a supervisor campos mention, voters should be allowed to decide this despite potential legal challenges that john gibner just mentioned but i think it's a moment possibility where you can organize like young people who are being drafted during the vietnam war, who are 18, 19, and 20-year-old organize on a national level the antiwar movement or you have this opportunity to show how rights and ready to go you are. mentioned your daughter is 15 is so sharp you are just a messaging world often can cut through the political goal that i can see sometimes and she can see things that i cannot i think she's totally ready to vote as well. i want to encourage not just a leadership with chilean blue from our richmond district but also the other youth to see persisting and 17-year-olds to build allies the 18, 19 and 20 also be adults to build a movement i can show san francisco can do this and where to start here whether it happens the selection or in the future, but i think we get props for the kurds to move something for the bout expanding democracy and thanks for bringing us altogether. >> president breed: thank you supervisor mar. his use of profanity is in no way encourage by our youth that are here today. supervisor campos >> supervisor campos: i'm in no position to criticize supervisor peskin about standing up so i'm sure myself but what i would say is to supervisor peskin, to the chair, my understanding, without delving into the issues implicated, for purposes of viability and the gaudi, i am not sure that the question of board of education, elections were municipal elections will be matters in terms of the question. so, my hope would be that we will try to put on the ballot something that is as expensive as possible. that we allow for the involvement of municipal elections because i do think there is a argument that we as a charter city have the ability to do that. to the extent that there's a question about whether or not this more legal viability with the board of education rules, if there is any legal challenge, the courts could actually find portion of the law as it relates to that ballot were legal. but, i think we should be expansive in sort of what we put out there and to the extent that there's any limitations, let the courts decide that. our goal should be to get young people involved in as many aspects of our municipal operations as possible. thank you. >> president breed: thank you very much commissioner -commissioner lee. >> testifier: i'm commissioner lee, district for good i wanted everyone for being here today. thank you for the board for taking the time that this joint meeting and sharing your space with dos. i have a question for the board of education. i know they mentioned they were going to add a voting curriculum the american democracy class and i was going wondering what that kirkland would consist of specifically just about voter registration, voter history or about voter issues about proposition, bout issues that are on the ballot this year? >> testifier: >> president breed: i think they had to leave so unfortunately i don't think we have a representative from the school board to be able to answer your questions, but i think it's a great question. i definitely think that it should -work should be done with the school district, if this goes to the voters, and if it passes, definitely, there should be changes to the courtroom to make adjustments so that people are prepared for their responsibility when they vote at age 16. we are happy to follow up with the school board on a particular question. thank you commissioner we. with that, supervisor yee >> supervisor yee: i don't know if i should rise but i guess i should. >> president breed: it just doesn't have the same impact. >> supervisor yee: i know. i know. for senior two rises a big deal. first of all, thank you supervisor avalos for bringing this forward thank you, commissioners for coming here today and joining us in expressing your views on this. there's a couple things i want to say. first of all when it comes to preparing students the school district does a good job of that because as you know, probably every school every high school and middle school they actually do vote in school election. it's not like it's a brand-new oh my god what is voting. i mean, the students actually know about voting. they know the people to run for different offices and they get to vote on. that is number one. this can be some criticisms of some people that don't maybe have [inaudible] their own children or something but for me, personally, i've two girls. they were ready to vote at 16. my younger one, actually, she was a youth commissioner at 12. she was on a school board as a student delegate. i watch the student delegates when i was sitting on the school board for a years making decisions and having their views expressing their views and these are young people. so, for me, i've seen and witnessed young people being able, capable, of making decisions and asking the right questions. i actually in my district youth commission, excuse me, a youth council made up of young people mostly high school, and they when we have discussions, you can tell that they will be as engaged as any adult that i can think of terms of how they view things and how they express and how they asked the right questions. in fact, for a program that i have in my own district, which is called participatory budgeting program where people get to vote and make decisions on how to spend money, i actually allow-it's not i, but that program allows for 16 and older to vote on it. so, people are getting practice their getting involved. i just want to say this. that anybody that has felt a 16 or 17-year-old is not ready to vote , please, they are so those does because i've seen them. i've witnessed a lot of young people that are cable. i've seen a lot of adults that are not capable. so, it balances out. i'm here to say at the end of the day, i'm sitting right next to mike point here jessica all be supporting this this proposition. >> president breed: thank you supervisor speak >> supervisor yee: >> commissioner cobbel: >>[applause] >> president breed: supervisor kim >> supervisor kim: i do want to knowledge and think the commission further work on this charter amendment. we started this over a year ago is been a tremendous process. i think there are larger constitutional issues that we need to work out but i think you're locally in the city is important for us to take a position of supporting and the expansion of our voting electorate. i want to concur with the comments supervisor yee, voice heard on the board of education with. we have really seen the tremendous leadership and intelligence and civic engagement of our 16 and 17-year-olds. to our work on the board of education. i just have to say, i concur. i think the wilder maybe 16 and 17 old that are not ready to vote and make form decisions are plenty of 18, plus, that are in the same but i'm not sure ages we the reason that we should not expand who are voting electorate is in this case. i also want to say that the research that the youth commission presented. is incredibly compelling. to have young people stably in place in a home in community in school starting the behavior of voting on a write up a systemic and it's incredibly important that you think 18-year-olds when you turn 18 you can be a very transitional time if you're going to college and moving out of your house, getting a job. that is a very difficult year to register to vote. i think many of us might have experienced that there i moved across country when i was 18 years old. i didn't know where i should register to vote. either at home or in my new locality, but i think in young people already registered in their home they continue to register locally there might even reregister while they moved to but i do think we have incredibly low voter turnout here in this country that we should be doing everything we can to expand an institute good voting behavior at school is a great time to be able to do that could. sf us our curriculum and program as it started, and they do an amazing job. actual actually peter walker one with supervisor mar's with that program for the school district and youth commission and the curriculum of the voter registration work and also the youth vote was also amazing to watch. what better time to vote them you're actually taking american government and civics classes. i think many this is adults only remember many the things we learned in high school but to do it at the time i think is incredibly exciting and hopefully maybe even if the parents to vote as well when they see the children of voting at home. so, i just want to express my support for the charter amendment at the cosponsor with john avalos i do encourage my colleagues here today if you've not signed on as a cosponsor, to do so. >> president breed: thank you. supervisor weiner >> supervisor wiener: thank you very much. so, i'll be honest, i struggled with this measure for a while, in a sort of-i think there are good arguments on both sides of this. the more that i really dug into it and thought about it is to talk interviewing getting feedback from people of all ages, i'm inclined to support this measure. >>[applause] >> supervisor wiener: i have, over time, met many many 16 and 17-year-olds were every bit as articulate and engaged and passionate as any adults and i'll be honest, if you look at the number of 40 and 50-year-olds who deny climate change and claim president obama is not a citizen of this country, i don't think-it's a joke but it's sort of not in terms of what people think and sometimes some of the information that people claim to be true which we know is not truth. so, i don't think that age is always the best proxy for our knowledgeable someone is. i agree with supervisor kim this clearly some 16 and 17-year-olds were not yet ready but there are many who are. i suspect the ones were not ready are probably going to be a lot less likely to actually vote and it seems to me for those who are ready, it is good it would be a shame not to get people engaged as an early age. i think that when it comes to who can vote back, it is best to err on the side of being broader rather than less broad. so, those are my thoughts. >> president breed: thanks. i just want to let supervisor and commissioners know, we still definitely need to open it up to public comments in arabic to also encourage any members of the commission, if they have comments that this is a meeting that, of course, we want to hear from you. rather than members of the board, but i will call on supervisor cohen at this time >> supervisor cohen:. thank you very much because my question is to the chair. if i may direct my question to the director. i love to talk to her in here a little bit about her support and her involvement in this measure in the last year she's been on the youth commission? >> testifier: thank you. first things first. are you commissioner and i do not know when exists. so speaking to that i think that being a youth commission for one thing is a privilege. it's a blessing. it's a good opportunity to get into city college because first things first i didn't know youth commission existed with the board of supervisors did and what just happened city hall. just being inside of it gives me a different perspective i can only imagine what that due to our young people. one of the chief many challenges you face at 16 emma and your teen years, people are always making decisions about you and for you. it's also because you're at that age. you think you are young so you don't know this and that i think today we live in a world where so many changes are happening and we are very well informed about what is actually going on not in our city but our country. as we all know in our presidential elections also coming up, so for me personally, i did work on this initiative. the past year the past commissioner started this initiative. for other use the commissioners have it work on this initiative, very proud of you guys and the hard work you put into this but i've also been on the site of policymaking . it takes years to just see an issue go it's one thing to advocate it's another to see it happen go through and write their and see if successful. so to me it's very important. >> supervisor cohen: dallas district time, bayview hunters point. >> president breed: yes, we know dropped the microphone. chairman avalos >> testifier: i like to state my personal reasons for supporting this ballot measure apostle ballot measure down the line, records originally heard about this issue albeit publicly at some second thoughts about it as to whether it was really the right thing to do and whether it was something that actually made sense, and i kept an open mind. i kept my eyes and ears open because of different arguments to people said 16 is too young. people said 6 are too immature. i have those points on both sides but i think what really moved me to really come here today and really supports all the advocates, although youth, although 16 and 17-year-olds were ready and eager to vote is the enthusiasm and the courage that they have shown since this was brought to the board of supervisors. i've never seen so many young people with such charisma and such intelligence and such dedication to civics and it's unfortunate at times civic participation is limited just because of simply their age. i have seen how their leadership has inspired others to do the same. to go ck on something those brought up earlier by supervisor mar regarding undocumented immigrants and their capability in voting, my like to speak to that a little bit actually. as we had previously from the research presented by vice chair will, one in three separate ust students has an immigrant parents not say this publicly and with pride, my brother and i are an example of that statistic. for people born in the united states and for people fortunate enough to go through the process of naturalization voting is a right that cannot be taken away. it's guaranteed in the constitution. the people undocumented like me, you would protections here with a sanctuary city laws boating is not just a right but it's a distinguished privilege. people like me who really want to get involved but save the limitation is something which has to be downline taken care of in another itself to for 16-year-olds who are born into mixed families, who has undocumented, this is a chance to empower not just them but their families. it's a way to give their families with voice for hope and empowerment. my younger brother who's a high school student rayna would be able to take advantage of this if this passes. imports like him a lot of people don't have a lot of faith in the democratic process and that is a problem and i think we can all agree on that. given that so many people have not taken advantage of this privilege of his right to vote to be part of the democratic process a lot of people have twiddled their participation and this is never to combat that and switch things around. like i said, there's some confusion perhaps letting someone who is 16 and is in a us citizen props, we can vote for 16 and something and once you're 18 it be taken away. i would like to really make it clear these are two issues in of its own and they deserve their own discourse good for me, this is a way to empower people who often are not able to cast their voice. latinos, african-americans, minorities all like, we are often barred through so many things like poverty and discrimination and racism do we feel like voting is the thing for us to get were occupied with so many other things in life that voting just comes as, well is not going to make a difference. so, in conclusion i want to say that this measure truly is something i support because i see it as the first up stop going to empowering not just young people but immigrants from all backgrounds .. >>[applause] >> president breed: thank you and well said chairman avalos did that, and seeing no other names on the roster, i would like to open this meeting up to public comments. if you would like to provide public comment on this particular item, these line up to my left and come for. love 2 min.. first speaker. >> testifier: >> president breed: first, speaker. go ahead. >> testifier: >> president breed: anybody? >> testifier: my name is-a sophomore at academy high school. every day all of us regardless of our age make decisions. throughout the course of our lives we've had to make choices that have shaped in some way or another the future that all of us have imagined for ourselves. in 2014 i was diagnosed with late stage-autoimmune disease that nearly took my life. because of that i was forced to make a choice. to put my dreams of playing baseball at a professional level of secondary. instead, i know focus on helping others with the same condition. my decision is taken me away from the future i once believe i could have, but despite our age, all of us in this room have made decisions large or small, that we regard as important. there are issues like city housing crisis and the issue of police brutality that affect youth and their families directly. yet, you have no voice to help make decisions on these problems. right now, were not asking you to grant us the ability to vote on national were controversial issues. the voice you will hear today are only some of the youth that are not only capable but deserve a voice in their community. thank you. >> president breed: >>[applause] >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: to the chairs, i'm not sure i heard a call for public comment on non-adjourned items >> president breed: yes, we went into a 5:00 pm special order meeting and when we reconvene as a board of supervisors will have dental public comment >> testifier: him speak about item to >> president breed: we have not commented we haven't call that particular item yet. >> testifier: to taking item 3 before item to? >> president breed: yes. sorry about that. next speaker, please. >> testifier: hello. my name is lindsay-i'm a government policy teacher at the san francisco school of the arts in here in san francisco and many my students are also here right now. the government and politics teacher for the past eight years this work is my absolute passion. every year without fail i teach about the amazing possibilities of our political system and government . my students say to me, i wish i could vote. every single year. they follow each election closely. they know the outcome is going to affect them for years to come. they volunteer at the polls. they help register voters on-campus and off-campus. they note that qualified to make these informed decisions about who should represent them and government and what policies should be in place yet been denied the right to vote and that is wrong. we have the opportunity to campaign to help ensure the next generation starts their voting experience the way we hope everyone will. with an educated decision and knowledge their voice matters. when you start something matters. the generation of students inspired fired up about our political system do they want to know, they know they want and they know why it matters and they deserve a voice in the future. i really look forward what i can teach about elections and politics and government and help students evaluate these issues from every angle and then high-five them as they go to the polls for the first time as voters get one of the things i've heard most about in education is relevant, relevant curriculum and but better way to make that happen and to ensure our civics education helps their students to vote while they're in school and water taking those classes. i could take strongly to vote in favor of this. thank you very much. >>[applause] >> president breed: next speaker, please. >> testifier:, youth leader, supervisor yee student counsel. i like to thank all the supervisors that have been willing to meet with us over the last two years now, now for your open-mindedness and your support. i would like to start off by addressing one question about which is the question of whether not we should have this be for school board elections only. i am so lucky to go to a private school as are one third of young adults in san francisco. so, i believe that if this were to be school board only, we would not really be opening access and engagement and opening the opportunity for learning through voting two one third of all the students in san francisco. i started working on boat 16 two years ago in fall 2014. that year, more than half of the ballot measures directly influence young people including the golden gate park renovation, children's fund and the soda tax among many others. i asked some of my friends were seniors, were actually just gone off to college, are you going to vote? they told me they did not know how. they hadn't registered. they forgot that it was a thing. these are some of the most thoughtful people that i knew some of the people that i looked up to, and i was shocked that they were not voting and so that proved to me there's something wrong with the way we are teaching young people to vote and i think boat 16 is a crucial step towards opening access and opening engagement. thank you. >>[applause] >> president breed: next speaker, please. >> testifier: hello. i'm a senior at campbell wendell high school and you may wonder where this high school. it's not located here in the city. i commute an hour weekly essentially to attend the meetings to participate anyway i can in furthering this movement because i believe this is one of the most important movements going on here in the area as of today. i was actually late today on for talk i did not arrive as early as i possibly could because they had a ap yesterday and have a ap test tomorrow. and one on thursday and one on monday after that. at thursday after that i was actually hoping out within ap today to ensure that all of my peers in advance our classes could put together their portfolios successfully and ship it off to college board to which essentially decides it we going to college or not. now, how this is relevant to this right now, what people question when students are actually smart enough and educated enough to make educated decisions for the local politics. honestly, as i look around all of these people most of these people are in high school and most of the people here today will take an ap which is a college level class in their lifetime. now if you expect people to learn at college level, as 18 and 19 old and 20-year-olds do, at 16 and 17, during high school, why do not expect them to make adult level decisions and college-level decisions. if i can at least musically talented person can learn to read and sing music sorry your time is up. >> president breed: next speaker, please. >> testifier: my name is kenny do and am a sophomore at st. ignatius college prep and i think most teams can relate when a lot of adults think were not mature enough or we don't understand anything. in fact, my dad when i was your age told me that he took the bus alone or if you went to high school in a different country. by saying that he implies that his expectations are for me to be an adult be independent have responsibility. when i talk about him about my ambitions my dreams he tells me i'm a little girl who doesn't get the world. there's a contradiction between his expectations and how he treats me and that's frustrating. adults often think that teens are not mature enough to make the decisions let alone to vote. the white paper lease by generation citizens and 16-year-olds perform just as well as adults is making final decisions like phone. grassley surrounded by the internet where we can access information. in fact i found a survey online by the center for disease control that shows that we teens are the best behaved generation of all time. we drink, we smoke, use drugs last and this all goes to say 16 and 17-year-olds are the most mature and informed generation yet we are ready to vote. thank you. >>[applause] >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: i'm part of the boat 16 years academy and i'm here today because is an american born american citizen, i strongly feel i should be entitled to a most basic american rights which is the right to vote and not have to be -enough to inherit it when i reach a certain age. most adults and parents today including my own parents, treat teenagers is reckless on responsible crazy when they leave the house and right talk about this initiative i hope parents can view the kids is something different good as responsible adults i can make the right decision. thank you. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: my name is jessica ng, a student advisory council vice president and junior from lowell high school. i want to share a personal experience with the boat 16 movement at my own school. in my us history class we had a group discussion about voting after learning about how voting has changed over the past century. naturally, this news began potluck present an issue of the boat 16 movement came up. by teacher asked the class if any of us had heard of its innovative or the support it. to this question, many hands the majority were raised. further discussion showed that a lot of students wanted their voices heard in the issues. many of which affect us youth today. there is no doubt that 16 and 17-year-olds understanding points of voting and want to vote. we need to make this a reality. thanks. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: my name is sierra watcher, junior at local high school and i am here on behalf of peter youth council. i want to say that i strongly support boat 16. the decisions made in san francisco affect everyone, everywhere age, race, gender and i feel like in order for us to have a city that is fully functional it is crucial for the used to be involved in that process. i want to personally thank the youth commission and other youth supporters for taking this issue very seriously and for you to be here today because it's an important issue. i understand that all of you have been 16 and 17 before, but as times change, it is crucial for us to be involved in the decision process in the decision-making. thank you. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: i am a freshman. so, i just want to talk about me and my friends and what we do in her free time. i think thcts to this issue. one time me and my friends work ocean beach and sitting there looking like normal pack of teenagers and we were talking loudly being typical teenagers. but, when you would not expect we were actually set of discussing boys or hair we were talking about abortion rights. although this we would talk about politics. we would talk about standards, hillary, donald trump. we were going all over talk politics. suddenly my friend burst oh, gosh, i wish i could vote. everyone agreed. we were all 14 so this really wasn't realistic. we kept on talking and i thought about this. yes, we are so opinionated. we all have beliefs. we have issues that affect us. we all care deeply about issues and politics, but none of us have the right to vote and although 16 is not 14, we were wish could vote sooner because these police and these changes we want to happen could not happen. we could up put in our input for another four years. we were all just i was just a think about how frustrating it is for me to have ideas and beliefs and not be able to implement them. for example, i do modern united nations and other doing it for three years now. i do look up the meets once a week and we discussed issues and overtime after listening to my educated peers discuss things, bringing in fact to my no idea the article i developed my beliefs and my political views, yet i can only bring these political views into simulated exercises, debates, that we have no affect on anything. i think this boat 16 would really bring a lot of educated young people who want to make a change the voices that they want to be heard, her. i support this measure. thank you. >>[applause] >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: hello my name is-. i'm 17 and a youth advocate a project what. isaac support boat 16 as a child of incarcerated adult my dad does not have the right to vote. i would love to be able to vote on topics that affect my family such as food stamps will my father was incarcerated, my mother night relied on food stamps but because my dad was in prison can apply for them when he got out. i would love to be able to have a voice on important matters like these. please support boat 16. >>[applause] >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: good evening. my name is arianna williams am 17 years old. i also met a proud member of project what did serve on the why yes advisory [inaudible]. do you know why to use in the city are ready for this vote? because they asked for a. personally, i would like to vote because i'm afraid i might not live long enough to vote when i'm supposed to. as someone who comes from the district of our mdm. pres., it is crucial for us to vote in our community that is speaking on behalf of my best friend who's 01 lost her brother right there on fillmore on golden gate in the mcdonald's drive-through. right in front of the voting station. black men in my community do not die of old age. as a leader and leader to leader, how can art kind thrive when our playing field is infected with symptoms that only a vote can cure? how many more martyrs would it take for this city to be safe and for someone who has suffered from every issue crossing the city, from homeless, to being affected by drugs, and police brutality, and racism at its purest form, i find myself doing a little bit that i made the decision to stay here when our kind are clearly being kicked out and i can will be fixed with a vote. i pledge to stay go to college and succeed and make my presence known. because there's people like me who were going to carry the legacy of the city and the duty of sincerely you do not get to live forever. so when you die of someone who's ready like me to take over. i'm a catalyst. >>[applause] >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: hi. my name is chris show green good i'm 17. i 10 leadership high school and i'm currently a senior. i'm glad graduating this month, actually. by looking at me today would you have guessed i raised myself? yet i'm not mature enough to vote. i paid my bills, closed myself, had myself. i am here today from what i did for my choices, the choice choices i chose to make. and you question whether not i'm ready to vote. we are ready to vote. you see this turnout. it was full. there to kick people out to get a youth in here. we are ready to vote. >>[applause] >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: hello. my name is mariana. i tend to in school for equity. i am here today because i do want to see change in my community and i want to create change for me and my peers and i want to be the one that speak on behalf of my peers who don't have a voice in what they say is not important which is most of the black and brown students would attend my school because we do have [inaudible] from every school in here. i just want to say that there is definitely a lot of privilege in this room and i'm glad in this case i share the privilege of education in order to witness and share where why i want me and my peers to vote. so, think. >>[applause] >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> hello my name is miranda >> testifier: [inaudible] i'm here to say i believe we should pass this because our schools is the last thing young people have. regarding kicked out of the city. were getting killed. were getting deported. our communities are not being represented and i have some family that are undocumented i have family that has been killed and incarcerated right now. just to think i to raise my own brothers and sister. i to give up on opportunities that help me be more successful. and i was with my family i'm also a community organizer so i understand all the issues i'm going to because i have to live through them every single day. our community is a great example,, like a reminder. it's not like hours later we had huge amounts of views out there that have been represented. last summer i was mad because i was the only young person here talking about the budget for the police and because our young people should be having the choice and the voice to talk about issues like this because we are the ones being affected by this, but somebody else. just like some of us can [inaudible] we want to talk to them because we are the ones going through this every single day and my school, got about where the ones sitting for our belief and we want to [inaudible] and were representing the us in the future. eventually you'll want to be, older and some is going to represent you. that's going to be us. it's really us who were waiting for that to us were going to depend on. so we've made enough choices to make the choices of who's going to be representing us in the school district and the board and i think [inaudible] >>[applause] >> president breed: speed speak or next speaker, please. >> testifier: i'm a youth greeter from young women against files and youth movements. i support boat 16 because i support youth should have the power to both. we often talk about empowering youth and what does that really actually look like? isn't just giving youth and education? isn't having a enough funding for youth organizations and spaces? that's not enough. there should be more. youth should have the right to voice our concerns and issues to decide on who should defend not represent us on the board of education and to vote on propositions and policies that affect us and our families. today, you are deprived of this institutional right because opposition is not willing to give us that chance. the trouble of having to print x about more important than the youth in our community? is the extra spending on ballots than the youth in our community? last summer i worked on the make it fair campaign which would close the loopholes that benefit corporations from taking money away from public services like affordable housing. because youth are not allowed to vote my friend have been gentrified out of their neighborhood. so, your assumptions do not and should not to find my knowledge, nor it should be an excuse to deny my right to vote. >>[applause] >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: good evening supervise my name is nicholas-student at uc berkeley research on youth commission from 2011-2014 representing richmond this. i'm in support of the proposed charter amendment. i think what a few of the opponents of the proposal the main issue is a youth quite friendly don't know what they're doing. it somewhat fair. when you have any large population like, use, the be some more knowledgeable on issues than others. the same goes for adults. there's plenty of adults more educated on some issues than others. but we don't apply on for standard of not letting any of them boat just because some might not be involved in the political process. today i want to show you use specific to 16 and 17-year-olds do know a lot about the political prospects is sfgtv, i could get the overhead? on my time at the youth commission has a lot of resolution. for example on youth employment [inaudible] during business negotiations and plan on document youth on youth justice issues. creating outdoor recreation space on police issues created recommendations for the police department. holding a timely hearing for youth incarcerated parents. on issues of transit and implementing [inaudible] and getting on the supervisors but when they were not implementing the program. fully developing affordable housing for transitional age youth evaluating the quality of recovery programs and cosponsoring youth advocacy. all of these resolutions were written by youth commissioners who either 16 or 17 years old. this does not include the resolutions were written by overuse commissioners. what we need to do is close the knowledge gap in the way we can do this is by getting young people involved earlier in the political process with her habitual app to voting and i will help [inaudible]. >>[applause] >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: good evening my name is phil-i cannot claim to be a constituent here. i live in maryland. the toolbar cities about modernize the voting age to 16. i came in today to tell you firsthand that the results been wonderful. before we get it there was a lot of opposition. some adults seem terrified as co-lead to some sort of disaster but now that the voting change agents change most people live in the cities would never choose to go back. sky did not fall when 16-year-old started vote-getter our trash still gets picked up every week police and fire services run as smoothly as ever but here's what has changed. teenagers take more pride in their city and more pride in their civic duties than any generation before. in both cities of voter turnout rate among voters younger than 18 is actually higher than the voter turnout rate among those over 18. these teenagers are developing habits of civic participation that are likely to last a lifetime. today, parents in the cities will take her daughter were their son to neighborhood polling place to cast her first boat with the same pride in their hearts as they feel taking her to graduation were first day in college. takoma park city council members say me an e-mail a few months ago describing what he has seen in his city now that they have 16-year-old voters. he says this is a:-once we made this change in takoma park the best of all outcomes is that it simply becomes normal. normal for older people to stand in line with young people to vote. normal for 16 and 17-year-olds to be a campaign event asking questions of candidates, normal to see 16 and seven-year-olds at council meetings and best of all, as elected representatives and has become normal for me to get request from 16 and 17 roles for information for representation or services the city provides. democracy at its best is able to hear all constituent voices. in takoma park the change we made in the voting age means we are able to do that for more residents. we are absolutely a better community for a. thank you. >>[applause] >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: good evening. i'm laura. i am san francisco state student currently working on my graduate degree in public administration. i'm also a nonprofit professional and former youth worker. current youth advocate an ally. >> president breed: please speak directly into the microphone. >> testifier: as a youth worker in district 9, 10, and 11-across many engage youth that have-that are smart, passionate, socially conscious young individuals civic minded that want to work towards improving their communities. they want to create a just and sustainable future but only for themselves but their families and those in younger people. democracy is suffering due to low adult turnout and voting is habitual so the younger we start the better our future can be. i strongly urge you just what the boat 16 campaign and by giving youth a stronger voice to be heard in situations like this. so, thank you very much. >>[applause] >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: my name is kathy-i'm a librarian and program manager at the library that opened on june 2015 created by and for teens at the main library. as someone witnessed firsthand the power of teams make positive changes to benefit their lives, i urge you to support boat 16. 16 older future dolls and their deeply impacted by the policies made by elected officials. as a professional youth services librarian at the strongly youth voices is critical to grading relevant services for youth. teams need a live network for adults to support them as they mature in order to a group of teens whose goal supports boat 16 and some of these are here today and you've heard some of them speak already and you'll hear more speak of units. i love that the city and county of san francisco has shown its board for teens by allocating funding. a complete free library space teens care about issues generally meaningful for them. as a [inaudible] teens can gather learn and collaborate on issues important to them. boat 16 is an example of the team led initiative that has been discussed and workshops. boat 16 is important because increased fragile social economic environment team voice and local government is critical. as a professional works with teens everyday i can say that teens are intelligent insightful and given the right to vote in local elections 16 old will use this responsibility wisely. >> testifier: our board of advising youth has endorsed this campaign. i'm a longtime resident of supervisor breed president breed's district 5 and i left san francisco in 2013 to take a job at the los angeles public library those time-limited and the time came for me to be done with the job i had a decision to make. twisting los angeles where most my family is and pursue my prayer there or do i answer the call to come back to san francisco make a positive change in our community to give my social media feed in the composition i was having with my fears but me to believe san francisco was changing people felt disenfranchised in making their voice heard. i came to work here in san francisco at the mix i knew was making a decision to work with teams to ensure our city supports them and makes a place where they can thrive. my teens are struggling every day with this decision would we do after we graduate and where do they go because siding to stay in. san francisco needs living with her parents and i want our teens in san francisco two of the resources they need to be competitors in this economy and have those businesses moving into our backyard hired teens straight out of san francisco high schools, that's cool and that's what we can do together by supporting vote 16 and franchising these group of committed wonderful intelligent engaged youth to vote in the future elections of the city into great a city that supports them an environment they can stay and live and make their own. i urge you to support this movement. thank you so much >>[applause] >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: my name is derek-and i am a senior at lincoln high school and a member of the board of advising youth at the san francisco public library, main library. i'm an immigrant from china and people's republic of china and i came here for i don't really remember much of it but i often ask my grandmother about it and she said that when she was a child her great-grandfather had to live in quiet secluded life in fear of communists and he had no voice and a lot of immigrants come here because in this country, we have a voice and they can vote. a lot of use have immigrant parents who don't know english and having a chance to vote would be very important for them. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: good evening. i'm jim. i'm a young artist from your book when a center for the arts and i like to encourage you to support vote 16 because from what i hear from the adults in my life some of them say we are the future and someone them tend to infantilize us in other words they treat us like we are incapable of making responsible decisions but at age 16 you can be employed and provide income for your family and you contrive alongside adults, and i think you should support vote 16 because it'll give us the power to improve our future and be the change makers that you want us to be. thank you. >>[applause] >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: my name is julie wong. i'm a teacher and am a parent and a current voter. victor yee i'm in your district. jane kim i like the ad there. i just want to say that as a teacher, we know that students are on the front lines of the issues that face the communities today. they are more likely to be homeless. they are more likely to have violence entered their lives. they're more likely to be bullied and have lgbtq issues arise in their lives. they need a voice. i would also like to say something about what i see here is a lot of support and what i hear here is a lot of support. but, i know you're all making your decisions still whether this doubts should go forward for a vote. what i would like to say is, as a teacher, i teach to the students to show up. if you are worried about the 16 and 17-year-olds that didn't show up today, if you are worried about what decisions they will be making, don't worry about that. give the opportunity to the students who are showing up. to have their voices heard. let the voters of this community decide whether or not they should be heard because i know that if you give them that opportunity east students are going to come out and convince the voters to go for this on the bow. thank you very much. >>[applause] >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: my name is charlotte and i go to balboa high school i'm a senior. being 17-year-olds, young woman, and a person of color, automatically on not taking seriously. i've experienced many times in college in other places where i was shut down because i'm a young woman and they say that my opinion does not matter. what i've been told to not speak or support the broad community because i'm not black. i'm still a person of color and unless my skin color is light or white i still face discrimination and inequality in the system., third-generation filipino household in america but i've got to learn i should not get involved in politics or anything involves speaking out for what i believe in. i recently learned how important it is to stand up for my beliefs. i believe that it is important to have a voice in politics so we can of civic engagement because it promotes diversity in decisions being made in the city we live in. every day, i walked on the street the neighborhood that i call home and i see a lot of inequality and discrimination being done against people that i could potentially relate to. the rapid shift our city is facing a believe 16 and 17 years old should have a say about what policy changes are being made here in san francisco. if we incurred 16 and 17 year old to book. we are encouraging them to exercise the right of freedom of speech is something they cannot do at home or other places because are not allowed to do so were other police. standing here as young woman as a person of color, i believe it's time we should put our trusting on people to continue to move forward. thank you. >>[applause] >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: hi everyone my name is-sophomore at local high school and i live in district 5. like to ask everyone here who is over the age of 30 whether or not they've asked someone younger of them to help them with technology or whether the computer whether phone. this shows that are use have a grasp on technology and on the internet and being able to gather information more than any other generation before us. we are constantly on our phones and computers. it's true. a lot of the time we are communicating with friends and yes, were communicating for fun but also sharing links and information constantly. for me, personally i think every morning, every day at 12 noon in every day at 6 pm i get a apple alert from a news app to tell me what's going on currently in the world. when i read these articles, with one click of a button i can send this to my parents that i can send it to my friends. were i can share also social media to hundreds of followers. all this is made possible with technology and youth today understand technology more than ever before. at been touched on before today, this week is pretty complicated for many high school students. we have ap exams that we have finals coming up the muggle we are here today to show that we want to participate in local elections and we want to share, that we want to vote and share ideas and participate. so, we are committed. supervisors, please consider supporting this charter amendment. thank you very much. >>[applause] >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: hello. my name is joshua park and i'm a freshman at lowell high school. i'm also part of vote 16 and youth empowerment academy. one of the stories are like to share with you today is the story of the close friend i used to have. i used to be very close to this one person we had a lot of meaningful conversations. about our moral sublease and a lasting legacy. now, those conversations are gone because people thought that we were in a relationship and not a friendship. don't know we don't talk. the story we can learn that as teenagers, we undergo similar experiences to those who can vote. as a student at high school only there for what less than once. i've experienced two deaths by suicide. most people don't have one. another moral to the story is the [inaudible] between me and her and how this is similar to the destruction of the ballot boxes and the citizens of this country. in america the voting rate is lower since world war ii and we use vote 16 as a way to fix this disruption because the faxes youth want to vote. the 2016 youth vote surveyed surveyed 6000 student. 75% said they absolutely were probably vote because of the simple fact that youth want to enter the ability and knowledge to vote this is why we should have the right to vote. this is why i urge you to cosponsor this legislation. thank you. >>[applause] >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: thank you for having this evening my name is david-there is an organization called generation citizen. we provide an action-based civic education curriculum to middle schools and high schools. youth choose to local issue impacting their lives take local action to address a. generation citizens started in rhode island quickly grew to boston, new york, was recently a bay area. we saw 50% growth in our program from last year to this year and we are but one of many youth organizations youth advocacy organizations locally around the country. as cheryl that is a testament to the fact there is a growing sentiment that societies hungry for a healthier democracy and our students, teachers, want to help create a paradigm shift where people feel informed and invested and activated in their communities and in their democracy. just as the many incredible voices give testament to tonight, our students took only over 1000 students and 18 local schools are proof positive of what younger engage citizens look like given the opportunity to take action and participate in local politics. they rise to the respect and responsibility that we give them. they do their research. they make informed decisions but perhaps most importantly, the experience helps set the blueprint for them feeling invested in their communities and have them wanting to stay involved. on behalf of our students in the health of our democracy, i has to support vote 16. thank you so much >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: my name is on j and i am now 11-year-old that goes to a school in san carlos. i'm in sixth grade which at my school which is a charter school is the middle school. i just want to speak for my middle school because i feel that a lot of kids in my middle school have a lot of different opinions about be politics right now. i feel that people should be able to vote younger because they have a lot of very important opinions that should be spoken and should be heard, and i feel that it shouldn't just be adults 18 and up that should be able to vote but also the kids 16 and up and i feel that maybe we could push for younger. i think that younger opinions should be heard just as much as older opinions. thank you. >>[applause] >> president breed: thank you very much. next speaker, please. >> testifier: my name is anton- i'm a high school science teacher. and a parent, a proud parent and a longtime resident voter in district 9. i want to talk briefly about ageism. in my psychology class called brain and behavior we study negative stereotypes different types of negative stereotypes. so, julian wu is in this class. we learned about a study with as people around the country to say how does the us population view different groups in terms of wants and confidence. so the category very low once and low confidence was associate with emotion of disgust and it turned out the groups that fell in that were that homeless and teenagers. it seems to me that the way we can break this negative stereotype a powerful way to do it would be for this group and for the city of san francisco to say that we value the voices of teenagers. that would be the first step. then, as the youth rise to this occasion of having their voices heard and start voting in numbers and higher percentages than adults it can start to shift his home mood and break the back of ageism. that's all i want to say. thank you. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: my name is jack allen i'm a student at school of the arts. at the school i was enrolled in us history class and discuss with learned things about women's suffrage now before women acquired the right to vote they were told they can participate in forming government by raising young boys trying to convince them how to vote. in this class we discussed policies such as sales taxes and other things up at the time for we discussed about what we thought about them but was a passion discussion that took an entire day at the end we all thought how can we hope and asked the teacher what we do about this. we were disappointed well you can go home and hope your parents listen to you when you talk about. this reflects when the main issues [inaudible] it isn't a surprise 116 and 17-year-olds are trying to figure out what matters to you have to form your expectations yourself and your told people don't expect you to pay attention to paul ticket you don't expect to be politically minded and even if you were one, you can for over two years and it. you can only hope to influence parents and maybe some your friends [inaudible] 16-year-olds and seven generals are right was spending entire classes just talk about the possibilities if we could vote how we would go. we are ready to vote. were waiting to be able to. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: my name is simone moore am currently finishing up my final year at the san francisco school of arts and why e august only have 2 min. so i would like to encourage you to be in favor of vote 16 primary because you population of the city of getting for issues not superficial and often issues that affect all of us. right now, along with my colleagues, were discussing how the economy of san francisco affects education i merely students come and client retention rate of teachers in our district. let me tell you we are informed. we definitely have a doing a research and we bought this up to people within the school board and were talking to the district and were reaching out there were doing all these things and taking time out of our academic and socialized to do these things. so, if we can take all those steps to speak to the superintendents to go to school board meetings, to do pretty much everything but voting, why can't we vote? in the past every time the voting pool has been widened its only yielded positive results. increasing it, if you would only continue that trend. thank you. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: i'm the president of the student advisory council. i'm here tonight, like many others, because i'm in support of vote 16. i believe lowering the voting age in elections along with educated students in their classes is about will be on the ballot will effectively increase citizen engagement. which is been at an all-time low. on top of that i believe this education and engagement will incite dinnertime conversations with students and parents. which will inspire more adults to vote as well when i see how involve their teaser. i know commissioner lee had questions and hopefully will cover all the topics you brought up earlier which includes [inaudible]. border registration and more portly how to vote. in conclusion, i can possibly say the student advisory council has, is, and will continue to back his campaign 100% up after all hearing all of voices tonight you will, too. i like to think eight youth commission further endless dedication and the board of education for their support and to integrate learning into education and like to thank you for your time tonight. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: [inaudible] >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: i been around long enough to remember when the voting age was 21. during the long bloody vietnam war, was a huge movement that said if young people can go into battle and fight and die as an 18-year-old they should have a vote at the ballot box. we were successful, but i remember as a 16 and 17-year-old with my peers were not able to engage and vote on the issue so important to us. today, it makes no sense warfare to exclude youth when a record number of them are now being incarcerated them are being tried as adults when lgbtq youth continue to be bullied and now our species is faced with a greater menace of our histories and eight, climate change. we need all the commitment, the energy, the activity the backing the voting of our community that we can get. what you're seeing behind me the majority of our folks here is representing the talents, the commitment, the intelligence, and the future of our city, of our world and if we undo the city that takes piety and being inclusive of being innovative is time to pass this charter initiative. thank you. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: good evening board of supervisors. my name is wilson wong senior and a rambo lincoln heights. i'm part of vote 16 high school can be a hard time for many of our challenges and mike weather sports, grades were just in general struggling. for me, i realize i lived with mentos called depression. to have it influence every part of my life to have it say to me, every negative adjective you could possibly find in webster's dictionary regardless of whether it's true or not. i find it a bit odd that adults will tell me that i can't vote what i'm struggling with something that people don't even acknowledge exists when i can't even vote for the issues i can fight for. i just want you to consider cosponsoring this amendment. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: my name is-, eighth grader at the youth empowerment academy. i'm here to ask you for your support and sponsorship of the campaign to lower the voting age to 16 in san francisco. as it is number of my family unfamiliar with not being listened to and wanting to be heard. i'm joined vote 16/2 given a voice vote 16 and 17 olds in san francisco. a lot of people have expressed concern about 0 of not being mature enough to vote but in the city were 16 olds can dr. to work without limited hours and pay taxes among other civic responsibilities i believe 16 olds are not just ready but also preserving a voice in their government. sills supervisor please cosponsor the charter amendment. >> president breed: thank you very much. next speaker, please. >> testifier: hello. my name's iris morel bassoon at lowell high school it as well as resident of district 8. i'm 16 years old. as you know much of the opposition to vote vote 16 who say it's a relevant issue. edwards went to the board some because there are real issues the city is facing within folksinger everts on those. they are right there are issues and vote 16 is a stronger solution to lease to them for depression and pornographic [inaudible] water suppression is nothing relevant issues some of these must know that. and some point in the last century it up ineligible to vote if this continues to be a subject of debate across the united states. well no san francisco is facing challenges we have opinions about the solutions but understanding two most important stakeholders are ineligible to vote. we have extreme were border turnout from vote bayview hunters point and others. these are some neighborhoods with the highest proportion 16 and seven-year-olds in the population. if you vote again 16 this means we could be represented neighborhoods and choosing not to. the city needs is institutional change so economic growth and progress [inaudible]. lead voters to understand the intricacies of our community have grown up children of immigrants were on center rented between the voters to understand. who better than peoples to live in these communities were embedded in them incapable of representing them completely. could make a better voter in san francisco than a 16 or 17-year-old? please consider cosponsoring this resolution. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: i will keep this brief. i'm not a loan in believing they use are indispensable members of our society and cannot continue to be treated as confidential. thank you so much. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: i'm 16 years old. i lived in the city for 16 years. i got with the city as much as if not more than most adults i know. i can strive so i take city buses. i don't have a job so i've no income of my own so i hang out with my friends in the city park. although i tend the private high school now i spend most of my life to public school. i remember when my mentos cool could pay for paper and how angry i was about it i remember i could not do anything about it. the city is a major part of my life the only makes sense i a san franciscan should have a say what happens in the circuit i support vote 16. thank you. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: hello. my name is katrina lyons.-st. eight nations caus prep and i s the vote vote 16 cause because of 16-year-olds are allowed to drive and they can legally get a job and injury to our society then why should we have the ability to have a say in who runs our local government? many of my friends take interest in politics and voice their political opinions on different platforms. they also discussed the matters their fellow peers, dull mentors and their families so, if 16-year-olds care enough to educate themselves on the topic and spend time discussing it with people, i believe that they should have a voice and make informed decisions when voting. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: hello. i am a sophomore at st. eight nash's college preparatory. when my oldest brother was in high school use very involved in politics and the current issues and discussions also often involves my brother voicing his opinion and views, explaining them to my parents and even if they contradicted what my parents viewed, the important, when he went to college he found he did not have enough time and decided not to register to vote, but if voting age had been extended to 16 and 17-year-olds he would have been more involved and had the ability to voice his opinion in the community. also the motley adults are you turn 18 you magically have all these abilities were if you're not 18 yet, the new don't have these abilities to think logically. i think that being an adult is about maturity and responsibility and many 16-17-year-olds already have the ability to hold responsibilities. it were tested with the responsibility to drive safely i think we should also be able to have a voice in our community. thank you. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: hello my name is christina williams on the high school service director the boys and girls club of san francisco. about some of my team members here today to give them an opportunity to use it youth voice as an advocate for youth voice and having a say in their society. >> testifier: my name is crystal. i go to a bam lincoln high school. i'm a sophomore. i believe that we-that 18-year-olds shouldn't only vote uugly 16 and 17-year-olds should as well because i think we are responsible and that we are capable of voting. just by 18-year-olds showing were not as responsible and that we should make her own decisions and not older people should make them for us. >> testifier: my name is-i'm in eighth grade. [inaudible] when i get older i can vote can choose to do what i do in my future. >> testifier: in the boys and girls club one of our mottos is great future start here. i want to truly grant are used to have a say in their future and silver futures can be great. thank you. >>[applause] >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: my name is helena-teacher mission high school. i made to express my support for vote six. as a teacher i see teenagers and honestly sometimes other worse so my students first are talked about the idea i was completely sold but the more i learned about it in more research i've read want to use just about become. i believe it's always a good thing well young people wanting to participate in our democratic process and i believe if we give young people the chance to vote for the first time before they transition out of high school the ability to save a local issue they care about will be strengthening our democracy and creating long-term citizen engagement. as a teacher, no young people hungry for ways to contribute i think no exercise this right. thank you. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: my name is debbie lee, parents, residents in district 7. i've been here since 1980 and had two kids in public school. i've been so impressed by the incredible points and variety issues that the students themselves have brought up. i just want to say couple different things. in my own experience, my kids make more use of services in the city than i ever do. in terms of schools, which is a big part of it, public transit, parks, and other sorts of free and paying and services. they walked observed the city and see things and bring back to me all kinds of observations daily. the other thing i just want to say is that i am hopeful that this effort will really encourage greater dialogue within families but i think that those kinds of conversations around politics will be that much more strengthened. as well as the kinds of conversations that they will have with you all as policymakers. so that we can really be responsive to kids in our city. thanks. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: how are you doing? my name is they should jaden, graduating senior at vernon high school and i youth leader for children and youth. as you woman of color i support vote 16 and feel like we deserve the right to vote for the future resident because we are the future. on top of the limited amount we have into the decisions imports only to say we might not have the opportunity to live in the city we love and grew up in because of issues such as gentrification and the increase in housing rates. moving this forward would allow us to generational bond to this treasure that slowly slipping out of our hands. thank you. speak speak or thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: >> testifier: the time we are born at the time become independent functional adults we are consulate told what to do and how to act and we always have policies unfairly imposed and implemented upon us without ever being given opportunity to voice out our ideas and even less influence in these policies. as a youth it's discouraging to feel like you have no meaningful influence in the very settings of your daily lives. whether it be at home and at school or in our community. i noticed this amongst my peers to feel as though there point and voice doesn't make a difference because that space go with it and told her whole eyes that always being shut down. with vote 16 gives an opportunity to encourage you directly engage in policymaking and feel like they are vote matters increase of lifelong voters i hope you guys will do the right thing. and support vote 16 >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: my name is totally grand senior at burke high school and also youth leader at common advocates. again everything that's happened from that was being pushed out and unaffordable housingthink of the, carried out generally surely you and your kids are facing the trauma we have fought. given that 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote will continue to breaking the cycle, by breaking the sounds of those often shut down when it comes to mating sound and real quickly, gordon is having a bringing back the [inaudible] from five-8:30 pm on may 13 and i wish all the guys would come out and join us at the good family and share your peace with all us at coleman advocates. please come and share with your family and friends. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: my name is rafael contrarily the senior at -anima unionized employee at safeway. so i pay full income taxes on the minimum wage than make hourly. when i started this job when i was 16 was a summer job then i started thinking about my rights as a worker in the money that i make and help i could make more money. i was frustrated but i could not vote about workers rights and the work issues that come up in my community if i'm paying income taxes on paying the estate tax a full citizen of this country pays that i should be allowed to vote as opposed some of this country i have opinions that matter and have a voice which needs to be heard by my city and for my community. so that is why i support vote 16. thank you. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: hi there my name is sally-i'm a proud third-generation san franciscan. i graduated from lowell high school in 2009. like many here i was also an active political students. i served on the student delegate on the board of education for supervisor jan the kim mar am currently on the staff of youth empowerment academy. the deep love for my city and lately i look around and feel like the heart of the city is being sucked dry, and i feel the heart and soul of the city still lives in its young people. i encourage you, instead of thinking rather than thinking how can i get this right to them, remember that you need them and that we need them. we need the youth because they are the heart and soul of the city. without them i also want to share a few of our endorsements. when that am proud to share is an endorsement from the legendary paul chang principle of lowell high school from 1991-2007. we also have congressman nancy pelosi as representative jackie spears vote in favor of the teachable see also endorsing this effort. we also have the endorsement of our summary members david chiu and phil-public defender came early up your we also marks state sen. along with many other community organizations to name a few coleman advocates has been here china progressive association. thank you for your time and thank you to everyone who came out today. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: good evening. my name is john jp on of the grassroots youth organization called ally active leadership. i am also a corrugated youth dealership called-the filipino community center. a graduate about polio of all high school 2008. i just want to bring up the point earlier was a point about 16 and 17-year-olds, some of them are not first of all i want to give major propositions all the youth who took part in this initiative. >>[applause] >> coucilmember taylor: there was a point earlier about 16 and 17 roles of not being ready to vote a lot of the market i think that is besides the point. i think we as community leaders should create the conditions truly help our young folks be better at civic engagement and one of the ways to create is to change the laws back regulates these conditions for people to be engaged. another point, too, there's a concern about whether this is going to cost some money to be able to accommodate for young people to vote. i don't have all the numbers but i know naturally spent a lot on prisons. with over [inaudible] that's a lot of militarization a lot of money going out. i think we must have something in our budget to be able to accommodate the young people to be able to vote at a younger age. thank you. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: my name is jimmy wayne. i am may health i reach at birds and eyes. i grew up in district 10 and studied urban planning when i was in my undergrad that i want to talk about vote 16 has an aspect to policymaking. i think a lot of you people are living day-to-day basis on existing transportation, experiencing housing issues that they live at homes. the huge [inaudible] our city goes to. it's been a huge pleasure working at burton high school as a witness so much of these young people most of them are from district 10, are really aware of the system they work in and it's been a huge pleasure to get to know them on a lot of of databases and huge asset to the more politically engaged and vote for the things that matter to them and the policies that represent where they come from. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: my name is-i'm a freshman. i know adult all lgbtq people should be arrested. i know adult things police brutality is not an actual hundred i know adult who thinks africa is a country and it's terrifying to me. that's exactly what i think youth like me should have the right to vote. our generation should have the right to voice our own opinions and not be seated in the back quietly. we deserve a voice in the government and that's what i think we should extend the voting age to 16 and 17. thank you. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: my name is, freshman at-could i live in the valley and i know our voices a teenager of color are barely been heard. by the one third of the is a population coming from immigrant families on the one in my house two, potential voice of the city is run. this is the same story of many other 16 and 17-year-old in my head. granted us the right to vote a diverse ride the trend in voter polls and be represented that's why they consider passing vote 16. thank you for your time. the speaker thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: my name is-a senior at lowell high school. san francisco is an experiencing the huge influx of people coming from the tech industry and san francisco's overall booming economy within the last five years. there are newer citizens that are generally quite young and how can she be greatly to the gentrification. overall, i find it very confusing that these newer citizens who do have the same identification and people of the city who been here only a couple of years are able to influence any decisions that have not an effect on the students and citizens been here for a lifetime. students who know the city by heart and who call it home and willing to come down here today to represent our population is young san franciscans. i believe we deserve the right, as much as adults, to have the right to vote. thank you. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: youth leaders, there's only one person here older than me. a few points. one, it shows as far selection issues go hardly the only thing more important whole series of issues the election department whether it's underfunding or unfocused management. this is a lot of things weekly doing better with election department. second point, you can be a democrat for life but in fact it was 180 years ago democrats to form the key group that cause the republican party to be formed to become successful, which led to universal entrenchments and, which is been brought us to where we are now. third point. i hope i young people are going to be reading their voter manuals as we all did go we get to that one person who seems to always comment on the issues that always seems to be against everything. dr. terrance falter,, yes, i'm very interested to see we don't always agree with them but we always see what his opinion is. it's going to be interesting. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: ladies and gentlemen of the board and youth commission, my name is paulina. i'm the vice president of the external affairs for the harvey 02 bt democratic club and the copresident of the patina of san francisco. i just want to express my full support of vote 16. when i first started the latina young dams i didn't anticipate, young people between the ages of 14 and 18 were interested in our club and is really just i'm really excited to see where this goes and i hope you guys are in support of it and i want to express my gratitude for the youth advocates that are here demanding their voice be heard. thank you very much. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: hello. i'm here to say i support vote 16. i support vote 16 because i believe giving 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote will help to diversify the voting pool by giving a whole new variety of points of view and i can honestly say i know quite a few people my age that are just as smart and politically opinionated as any adult. if not more. they have ideas that are forcefully put them into the age and the fact that not able to vote. so i support vote 16 so their opinions and ideas can be heard. thank you. >> president breed: thank you. next speaker, please. >> testifier: i just have one quick suggestion, which is i understand this is the first time the youth commission and the board of supervisors have held a joint meeting and i like to suggest that you make is at least an annual occasion because youth rights our community rights. community rights are three rights. >> president breed: thank you. other any other members of the public alike to provide public comment at this time seeing none, public comment is closed. >>[gavel] >> president breed: we also have our general public comment for both the youth commission and the board of supervisors, and i would like to open it up for general public comment for items not currently on the board's agenda was a youth commission agenda. >> president breed: public comment is closed. >>[gavel] >> president breed: this item is in the hands of the board of supervisors. supervisor avalos >> supervisor avalos: i just want to thank all the young people for coming here today and testifying and especially want to thank the youth commission for being here with us. colleagues, i want to thank you for making sure we could have this joint meeting. i'm what you reserve some of my comments for later because i think i want to make sure that we have the youth commission members want to speak, i like to request without him to speak first. this is the measure they brought forward that we can follow. before that, what i like to see, because of our portables will run chart of amendment we can't vote on this measure today because there's only people here in the room, i like to say to my colleagues, if you are going to be voting for this, please, just add your name as a cosponsor. that way, we can have a vote regarding your windy kub support of that will give indication to the young activists here that we have a measure of vote bill passes measure and put it on the bow. >> president breed: thank you supervisor avalos. >>[applause] >> president breed: if i could ask you, we actually have a board rule of no clapping i know this is pretty late in the day to say that but in order for us to get through our agenda and allow the commissioners to give comments and other members of the board to give comments, if you could use your spirit fingers when you're clapping just don't put them together. that would be great. supervisor yee >> i want say what everyone in this room was 116 old and someone said recently [inaudible] why should we deny voting rights 327 said six euros our price without the even the set as adults as well. i work with use of incarcerated parents and the child of a formerly incarcerated parents myself. i can tell you personally they are the strongest and most resilient was intelligent and least impressionable people i know. not to mention, in the state of california we try 16-year-olds as adults. sometimes giving them life sentences. which, by the way we have disproportionately affects youth of color which is unfortunate as diversity is becoming scarce in san francisco. why are we willing to give youth cruel and unusual adult punishment are not willing to give youth adult privileges? whiskey bar youth a voice. we are long past the time of you been seen but not heard. this is why i wholeheartedly support vote 16. >> president breed: thank you. supervisor farrell >> supervisor farrell: i want to thank the youth commissioners for being out i think this is a great exercise tonight in particular everyone speak. hours are comments for later brats next week but i want to also say how proud i am of my youth commissioner, lily was here. who's been a youth commissioner from district to since i've been in office. before my time supervisor i think she does amazing job and i know she wants to say a few words. >> testifier: thank. i know this is late. i like to thank the board of supervisors for making these hearings possible. psychiatric my colleagues on these the energy discussing this issue in the hard work will personally, i believe 16-year-olds could exercise the right to vote. i also believe that [inaudible] could as well. most adults, as you may know the voting age should be uniform. therefore i'll continue to support the work of the majority of the youth commission on this matter. >> president breed: thank you very much. with that, i'm going to acknowledge the youth commissioner from district 5 who has waited patiently to speak. chris pocket >> hello supervisor chris plunkett was that of others officer in district 5. to the present like to thank all the supervisors for allowing us to be here. it's a true honor. i like to think members of the civic engagement committee members of the youth empowerment academy, and all individual commissioners and the members of the public come out to support this great effort. this initiative has my full support without a doubt. but despite this, i continue one) as intuitive as i continue to hear these constant assumptions and statements of why 16 and 17-year-olds should not be able to vote despite evidence being there to allow 16 and seven-year-olds to vote. i've heard in the past that youth are truly impressionable by their parents despite a survey that came out from said 44% of youth actually voted polar opposite of their parents. i have heard that youth are not mature enough just like we've seen evidence youth 16 and set and symbols are parallels when they are 21. i've heard they're not educated enough. despite the education board passing a resolution stating that doing everything in the power to make that so and i think members of the public have made this obvious that they are mature enough. despite this, myself included, members of district 5 use of district 5 and made it obvious that completely for this. recent survey 75% of you from district 5 said they would more than likely would absolutely register to vote. one of things that turns me on to this and this is something [inaudible] it was my personal stake in homelessness. it's truly amazing to think that two years ago i was homeless and now i'm here in front of all the good it's extremely humbling. i experienced a lot. it pains me to know today in the city we have one 3300 youth below the age of 18 that are homeless. numbers that are severe jews demand during the great passion. this one largest concerns of individuals in the city. these are you that have better lgbtq. you that are of color. you that experienced domestic abuse. you said about to endure prostitution and the comics. for us, not allow youth of this area to vote vote is absurd. i believe if we can 16 and seven-year-olds to vote within this general area to vote in the interest of all use similar to them the city would be much different. i can only imagine in the future how -forgive me i don't imagine in the future how the city will be when we do allow youth such as these to vote. thank you. >> president breed: thank you. i know you want to cut that because as district 5. thank you. good job. supervisor peskin b peskin i see my time to disagree commissioner >> president breed: commissioner. >> america call district three commencement i like to adjust i like to as a representative of district 3. the youth commission is a top priority in the past two years when the core reasons why we believe the strong participation in elections by 16 and 17-year-olds is that voter turnout in sf was only 62% in november 2014. even worse, 29% of the voters in 2013. these percentages represent nearly half of the registered voters do not vote and this does not include those who are eligible and are not registered. those not eligible to register. in a moment to authorize and include more people in the voting in san francisco is not a new concept. proposition f were loud noncitizen parents to vote in school boards was almost past four & yes. proposition 10 d attempted the same. another supervisor peskin was a supporter for these others for passing the charter amendment in 2004 and 2010 so i like to thank you for experience of a conditioning. changing the voting eligibility in sf is not a new concept. has been tried before with support by members of this board. i understand 16 and 17 olds are considered by some to be too immature and not knowledgeable about policies and elections to vote. however, it's actually the perfect age to engage in civics. we learn about politics and congressional procedures and american democracy and government cost but also, i understand voting rights is a profound privilege or people in this country have fought and died for. i believe the best way to honor and protect the privilege is to get more people than younger people specifically engaged in exercising their rights as voters. district 3 has the second densest of household under 18 but some things cannot registered you both. one in three sf students has in them (including many of the households in my neighborhood. one thing that could help motivate parents to vote is their children. talk about voting positions can open up dinnertable conversations which could be developed into a stronger and more avid voter turnout for all members of the household. i know there are even use commissioners in this chamber are registered to vote as a result of their son or daughter efficacy on this issue. our family and me live in srl, a lot of the families in district 3, especially chinatown do. i know that one of supervisor peskin's parties focus on affordable housing for families which is a topic i can speak on the board residents over 18 vote [inaudible]. i am ready to vote on legislation that pertains the means to my family and neighborhood. thank you, supervisors, commissioners and the public for listen. i appreciate your time. it took 10 board members to pass a joint meeting so i hope this board will vote to allow voters on the november ballot with the same level of support. thank you. >> president breed: thank you. supervisor >> supervisor cohen: >> supervisor peskin: webbing of the district 3 commissioner rises to speak. >> president breed: thank you supervisor peskin. supervisor cohen >> supervisor cohen: i don't know if i should rise, too. through the president, commissioner of presenting district and i just want to say how very inspired to see all the youth of today. on the back my head i'm thinking of all the homework i have to do. i'm sure i'm not the only one but i love the policy work and i love the policy politics and everything so my area of expertise but when setting but it's inspiring to see a lot of you guys and everyone and the board of supervisors. thank you for cheering your chambers. for me, vote 16 is important because it would expose you to city government and local politics. especially in our community is about opportunities going our city today and voting at age of 16 connected to this year this event has the highest [inaudible] and lowest voter turnout and 16 and seven-year-olds were to vote as they could inspire an increased participation and engagement with local issues throughout the entire house. as 16-year-old as a child of incarcerated parents and many times support via my peers could have had at different points but are means of being hurt by local decision-makers are limited. because of that, i began to work with a [inaudible] has learned how to make my voice heard. it's important to create enough of those opportunities probably young people and are sued. like i said even if you're in a program advocate for any other organization, your voice is limited and that's what we have to go ask supervisors to sponsor legislation resolutions and things like that. so the mice to feel our voices very limited even in the organizations we buy for all the time which is why i think vote 16 is very important. also research shows voting at 16 [inaudible] the fact is we do not-we all have adults were representing our interests of the outbox creating voters and my phone voters. it's not just about that. but the potential young adults have would've given the opportunity to have their voice heard. we ask the board of supervisors to put this issue before the voters and were also asking the city to demonstrate what you can do for our city and i believe we have shown in many many ways. to the many youth that are here today. i just want to say that 16 old can dr. a young woman can get contraception. it can be criminalized as adults and i think right there were given responsibilities as another. it shows we are mature. >> president breed: thank you. supervisor campos speak of is i think any question about the importance of this measure for the need for this measure just as proven by the fact that the level of discourse ms. chambers certainly been elevated by the presence of these young people. i'm glad none of them can run against any of us right now. at least not until this passes. >> president breed: i was just thinking the same thing supervisor campos. >> supervisor campos: but now i deferred to commissioner the district 9. >> thank you supervisor campos. through the president to the board, as i like to say that i'm a child of two immigrant parents. i feel very blessed both my parents are citizens and they can vote and represent me but a lot of kids don't have this privilege. especially in district 9 where a lot of latino people live in as you all know, a lot of families are being displaced. if this ballot measure could enacted earlier, a lot of these families would've had a chance to be vote because their children born in this country. they could've cast about to elect their supervisor and to vote for ballot measures and many other things in about. i just think this could add to stop the disenfranchisement of families that have undocumented parents and i think you should all cosponsored. thank you. >> president breed: thank you. supervisor kim >> supervisor kim: >> i'm not sure if i should rise but-in spirit all rise but all is visibly besetting him get to the president with difficulties came to speed i feel very privileged and blessed to witness all you turnout which i believe will show very similar to the turnout. i would also like to thank the 2014-15 district 11 youth commissioner who is today i'm sure he's watching closely on the sfgov tv. my parents do not vote. they do not think of registering in the many decades they been naturalized they were discriminated against because of our social economic status and all the [inaudible] being a parent. until very recently. since it began advocating for the [inaudible] youth commission last year i convinced my parents a local politics and some summary propositions in the 2015 local election directly affected our family. since then, my mother has registered to vote and be voting for the first time in this next election. i think this a prime example of the trickle up effect and go to reiterate my mother probably would not have exercise a right to vote mentioned five times in the constitution

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