Members across the WORC-network want to know how the next president will help rural communities transition to a better, more diversified economy, especially in coal-dependent areas. That was the question Northern Plains chair Kate French took to the presidential candidates at a town hall in Reno, Nevada, on February 13.
The non-partisan “Real Solutions for Real People” town hall was hosted by the Center for Community Change. WORC cosponsored the event. CCC hosted two similar non-partisan civic engagement events in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Kate told ABC/Fox in Bozeman that it’s important for Montanans’ concerns to be part of the national conversation.
“I want to make sure the presidential debates are thinking about how a transition to a clean energy economy can benefit rural Montanans.”
As a conservationist, French is looking for a candidate who will be able to successfully transition the country’s environment to a much cleaner one. To do that, she says there needs to be support nation-wide.
“One way to do that is to make sure these issues are brought up during presidential debates and primary debates,” said French.
All presidential candidates were invited. Senator Bernie Sanders attended in person, while Hillary Clinton sent New Jersey Senator Corey Booker as a surrogate. No Republican candidates attended.
In an op-ed in the Billings Gazette following the town hall, Kate shared her experience:
On Saturday morning, I walked into a packed auditorium complete with Secret Service security, cheering Nevadans, and a dense cadre of television cameras. With the Nevada caucuses near, interest in the event mushroomed – so much so that the forum had a waiting list of more than 500 people.
At the microphone, I said that we in Montana care about building diverse, resilient rural communities. I asked how the Clinton administration would ensure that we build widespread prosperity, especially in coal-dependent communities, as our nation shifts to clean energy sources such as wind, solar, and energy efficiency.
Booker responded with concern for those who are worried about their future, and support for clean energy development through further extension of the federal wind and solar tax credits, wide expansion of rooftop solar installations, and targeted investments in impoverished communities.
Kate said the candidates’ answers suggest they are unfamiliar with the complexities of the issues facing rural communities in the West.
It’s important for us on the ground to change that dynamic by getting involved, so that more elected officials understand that clean-water and clean-energy policies, while important to Montanans, might look different here than on the East Coast.
She added,
It is everyone’s responsibility and right to ask questions and to make candidates think differently about our often-overlooked region.
You can see video of Kate’s question and Sen. Booker’s answer or a complete livestream of the town hall at the Putting Families First Forum. Kate’s question appears at 1:12:00 on the video.
For a calendar of presidential primary election dates in your state, visit the New York Times 2016 Primary Results and Calendar.