skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Boot Camp for Future WA Politicians

play audio
Play

Monday, January 28, 2013   

YAKIMA, Wash. - This weekend in Yakima, 16 people with goals of running for public office are getting a jump on the next election in the Ready to Lead workshop. It's nonpartisan training for immigrants who want to play bigger roles in their communities.

For 19-year-old Monica Mendoza, it's another step in a dream she's had since childhood: to run for Congress. She's a University of Washington freshman who has already earned enough credits for junior status, and she says she'll bring the same drive to reaching her goal of public service.

"I think there's a lot of hope and we're moving toward a good future," she says. "If you have a little bit of grit and you continue on with your ambition, and you're fighting for what you truly believe in, it is definitely possible."

The League of Women Voters of Washington sponsored Mendoza's attendance at the workshop. League executive director Laura Cava Northrop says it's important to encourage more people to be involved in politics. And although that means putting one's personal life under the microscope, she even sees an upside to that.

"Lives are becoming open books," she says, "but I think that also encourages a level of integrity and openness from folks who are considering running."

Toby Guevin, senior policy and civic engagement manager with the group OneAmerica, says many immigrants have stories of perseverance and adaptability that can help them earn voters' respect. One goal of the training, he adds, is to convince them that their heritage is an advantage.

"Instead of being a barrier and a challenge," he says, "there's a lot of elements of that experience and those values that you bring as a new American that can really be helpful in our legislative process, in elected and appointed office."

During the weekend, prospective candidates from their 20s to their 60s created their "stump speeches" and got advice on canvassing, raising money, getting endorsements and more. It is the first time the training, from the New American Leaders Project, has come to Washington.

Information about the training is available at http://newamericanleaders.org/.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021