And the WREN will have ongoing opportunities to provide a voice in the conversation after being invited to join the Equity Advisory Group as a voice for rural concerns.

Reardan H.S. educator and FFA director Rick Perleberg shares, “I continue to be so proud of our team. In fact the entire community of Reardan, WA can take pride in these young people who are engaging in policy discussions at the highest levels of Washington State agency policy formation.”

"Today, I am announcing legislation that will restore the power of decision-making to the communities most affected by energy projects in our state. For too long, the system has been broken, disempowering local communities and undermining the hard work of county commissions, professional planning staff, and local citizens."

People spoke, listened, ate muffins, drank coffee, and made connections while discussing contentious issues. It’s a proof of concept on the eve of a presidential debate – Americans are hungry for substantive conversations reaching beyond partisan talking points.