As Congress dives into Bush’s $1.69 trillion budget and interest groups lobby for slave reparations, a 13-year-old Evanston girl tackles another important issue: drunken driving.

Caitlin Crain, a seventh-grader at Nichols Middle School, will discuss with U.S. representatives her proposal for a designated driver law. She was chosen from more than 10,000 students in a nationwide letter-writing contest to represent Illinois at the weeklong RespecTeen National Youth Forum. The forum will take place in Washington beginning April 28.

But today, Caitlin behaves like a turtle. She shies away from publicity, coming out of her shell only to be featured in a new article.

“They all really support me,” Caitlin said of the attention she receives from classmates and teachers. “Right now, I don’t think about it. I hope they pick my law.”

Resting her chin on her palms, Caitlin displays an unassuming nature that seems to contrast with the mature issues surrounding drunken driving. Her law would require bars and restaurants to refuse serving alcoholic beverages to customers unless a designated driver is identified.

“While this law would not prevent people drinking at home or at private parties,” Caitlin said in her letter, “it would greatly reduce the number of injuries and fatalities resulting from drunken driving.”

The letter was part of a homework assignment for her English class at Nichols. The school submitted 15 letters from its seventh-grade class to Illinois U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky.

“Caitlin is an incredibly mature, sophisticated writer,” said Elizabeth Jackson, Caitlin’s English teacher. “The government needs to look at this issue.”

Although her proposal is large in scale and serious in tone, Caitlin carries herself with modesty. Letting her eyes wander around the room, she says she would rather be writing short stories.

“I wrote one for Christmas about a flamingo and a hamster. It was about five pages,” Caitlin said. “I like writing because of the finished product and what happens when people read it.”

When not writing short stories, Caitlin plays the violin in the Nichols Middle School Orchestra. She also participates in the St. Luke’s Girls Choir and Evanston Girl Scouts. In March she performed in “Annie Get Your Gun” at the Evanston Children’s Theatre.

Caitlin also enjoys swimming and reading about international news. Every day before school, she watches early morning news shows and reads a newspaper.

After winning the letter-writing contest, Caitlin said schoolmates tease her about being a future senator.

“It seems too early to tell,” Caitlin said. “But it sounds fun to be a journalist.”