By Kayla Hora, Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School
TomorrowTODAY staff writer
In a Friday news conference at the Alabama Statehouse, Youth Gov. Carter Holloway, alongside his Cabinet members, Shivika Kumar and MaryEllis Killough, fielded questions from the Youth Legislature media team and the Alabama Daily News, a digital-first, non-partisan news organization focused on Alabama government, politics and policy.
Youth Leg media members specifically asked Gov. Holloway about three of the nine bills on his Special Order Calendar, the first three bills debated in each of the three chambers. Holloway said that he picked all of his Special Order bills because they were controversial and would encourage debate among the high schoolers.
When Cabinet member Killough was asked about Senate Bill 57, The Highway: Alabama Cannabis and Infrastructure Development Act, she said the tax on legal marijuana could expand and develop roads in Alabama.
Gov. Holloway said that he would expand education to cover minority populations when interviewed about HB57, A Bill to Remove Confederate Celebrations, and HB19, Access to Relevant Queer Information and Support in Alabama Schools Act 2026.
The governor said celebrating Martin Luther King Day and Robert E. Lee Day on the same day is an oxymoron because the two men advocated for completely different principles. Kumar, adding to Holloway’s response, said these celebrations should be remembered but not celebrated.
The media also interviewed the governor about his personal experience at Youth Legislature. “This program has given me an opportunity to have a voice, and I just want people to have the same experience,” he stated. When asked what skills he would take away from his time as governor, Holloway said “patience.” He went on to say how patience has allowed him to make this an enjoyable experience, because it made it easier to communicate with others, even people with different ideas.