The last month has seen the nation focus on the continuing problem of mass murders at our schools. Parkland, Florida, is the latest example.

Here in Federal Way our young scholars have acted as adults to bring local political attention to their fear that without changes, it could happen here. With Mayor Jim Ferrell’s utility tax increase, having passed the city council, we now have parallel hot issues merging into major political battlefields of competition.

In the nation’s capital, hundreds of thousands students participated in “March For Our Lives” to demand changes in our gun control laws that are real and could make a difference. It was an impressive turnout, although the primary audience, President Donald Trump and Congress, had left town. They should have been there to see and hear what the nation’s youth have to say about the nation’s priorities.

The same holds true here in Federal Way as over 120 students, teachers and parents marched from Federal Way High School to downtown and convened at a city park. But unlike the other Washington, many of our elected officials joined the students in the march, or attended the brief program and heard student requests for support firsthand.

Elected officials have busy schedules and have to prioritize. And this is a contentious issue where some elected officials may not want to be visible or simply don’t agree that changes are needed. Others may have had a schedule that couldn’t be changed. But, it was a Saturday and the message of participation says much about a politician’s policy priorities. Some events should not be missed. If an elected official supports the students’ fear of guns, then this was one of them.

Although coming from other events, state Reps. Kristine Reeves and Mike Pellicciotti were in attendance, as were Federal Way School Board members Claire Wilson and Geoffrey McAnalloy. Superintendent Tammy Campbell also joined the students, as did Federal Way City Council members Jesse Johnson, Mark Koppang, Lydia Assefia-Dawson and Martin Moore. Mayor Jim Ferrell and Deputy Mayor Susan Honda and councilmember Dini Duclos were not in attendance, nor was state Sen. Mark Miloscia or school board members Hiroshi Eto, Carol Gregory or Dr. Mildred Ollee.

The message of “enough is enough” was just as passionate as the one delivered in Washington, D.C., even though it lacked television cameras. Councilmembers Moore and Koppang felt the council should talk about students’ concerns. Johnson and Assefa-Dawson were more direct and wanted to see if assault-type rifles could be banned in the city, or at least added to the city’s legislative list. They acknowledged there may be questions about the council’s authority and state law.

Adults tended to yield to the student speakers. Logan Fraser told the crowd “sometimes you don’t always know the right side to be on, but in looking at the diversity in this crowd, this feels like the right side.”

Johnson told the crowd “you are not the future, you are the present.” State legislators Reeves and Pellicciotti were supportive of the students’ passion and were hopeful the next session of the state Legislature will have more success in changing gun laws. Council members Koppang and Assefa-Dawson are up for election next year. Now that they have stepped out to support the students, backing away to a weaker position could jeopardize the students’ trust. As council members, they will need to step up with something meaningful.

Competing for political attention and support are residents circulating petitions trying to overturn the city council’s passage of a utility tax. Resident Jack Sharlock started the movement by himself, but has been joined by Miloscia, who is being challenged for his legislative seat by school board president Claire Wilson. Miloscia was not at the student walk, but made a smart counter-move to help oppose the utility tax. It will give him a local issue to campaign on. Although it also puts him on the opposite side from one of his longtime supporters, council member Martin Moore voted for the tax increase.

Will Wilson try and co-opt Miloscia’s position by joining the No Utility Tax group? And will Miloscia move to support the students’ position on gun control? Seems unlikely, but this is politics in an election year. Also joining the anti-utility tax group is former mayor and councilmember Jack Dovey. Could Dovey be interested in returning to city government or possibly moving up to state politics? Or does he simply think the tax is a bad idea?

Watch to see who steps out front on each of these issues. How will Pellicciotti and Reeves react to the utility tax question? The tax could harm many elderly and low-income residents, which is their constituency. They are likely watching to see who joins them in supporting the students or who tries to make a splash with the tax issue. That is where an opponent could come from. Democrats tend to favor gun control while Republicans tend to oppose it. But the tax issue may have both support and opposition from members of the political parties.

Also working to overturn the utility tax is former state representative and councilmember Linda Kochmar, who has been critical of city spending and is rumored to be interested in returning to the city council next year. A major pawn in this merging of hot topics is the student-led push to register as many 18 year olds to vote as possible. Voting blocks have power. One of the student leaders is Ruby Edwards, whose mother, Sharry Edwards, ran for city council last year. She is now busy working on issues related to homelessness, while daughter Ruby works on gun control.

If the students can build enough momentum through voter registrations, they can impact both issues. But that means that the No Utility Tax group needs to get enough help to qualify for the ballot to keep the issue moving forward. Movements have meaning. Watch to see who supports what.

Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn and retired public official. He can be reached at bjroegner@comcast.net.