Kayla Young

Kayla Young is a Democratic member of the West Virginia House of Delegates representing Kanawha County's 56th district and serves as Minority Leader Pro Tempore. Her legislative work includes government organization, energy and public works, economic development, local government, family policy, constituent service, and state-level public policy.

Young State Lawmakers Are Building Trust Without the Staff to Sustain It

At the Aspen Ideas Festival, young state lawmakers and Future Caucus CEO Layla Zaidane argued that statehouses are becoming the more consequential and more reachable arena of American democracy. Indiana Republican Beau Baird and West Virginia Democrat Kayla Young described legislatures where bipartisan work is still possible because officials remain close to constituents, but also warned that part-time pay, minimal staff, safety risks, weak local news and supermajority incentives make the work hard to sustain.

The Aspen InstituteJun 30, 202620 min read