Washington state Governor Jay Inslee speaking with attendees at a Reno rally. Image: Don Dike Anukam.

By Don Dike Anukam

Washington State Governor and Democratic party presidential candidate Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) came to Reno yesterday to speak to the Indivisible Northern Nevada group.

There were about 75 interested audience members who attended the event at Cathexes in Reno. Earlier in the day, Inslee held round table discussions with local labor and climate change groups. He also visited a homeless shelter in Reno.

Jay Inslee

“I want to share with you the personal thing why I am running for president — I love my state, I know people love Nevada, and they are two beautiful states in their own ways,” he said.

A focal point of his speech in Reno was on climate change-related issues.

“I know all the things I have enjoyed growing up. My three grandchildren will not have during their lifetime unless we stop the climate crisis,” he added.

In an interview with ThisisReno, Governor Inslee had this to say about affordable housing and homelessness:

“There [are] multiple things we need to do, similar to what we’re doing to Washington. Number one: people have got to have better wages, a wage increase so they can pay for housing. And second: we need bigger, better investment, millions of dollars … of financing and building [for] low-income housing. “Third, we need to work on density issues. So we build housing in the urban core so people can be close to work; fourth, we need to help people who have mental health issues. “This is something that we all suffer in the western United States, and we’re all going to pull it together to do something about it. I look forward to doing something about it as president.”

Inslee spoke and took questions from the audience. Topics ranged from recent gun violence incidents in El Paso, Dayton, and Gilroy and his thoughts on the need for gun control. He then posed with attendees for photos after the event.