The Mississippi legislature has its first deaf page. 19-year-old Derek Schmitz of Florence is a senior at the Mississippi School for the Deaf in Jackson who uses ASL and wears a hearing aid to help with his minimal residual hearing. An interpreter is accompanying him on the floor at the Mississippi Capitol where he delivers messages and runs errands for lawmakers. Schmitz eventually plans to become a veterinarian though his interest in politics has been sparked by his recent experiences.
