Basin briefs for Dec. 16, 2019

TOPPENISH — Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, will host a Summit on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women on Dec. 16 at the Yakama Nation Cultural Center.

Newhouse will be joined by special guest, U.S. Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney. All 29 federally-recognized Washington tribes have been invited to the Yakama Nation reservation to share their experiences in combating the MMIW crisis and to discuss federal and legislative efforts to address the growing number of unsolved cases in Native communities across the country.

“It is my pleasure to welcome Assistant Secretary Sweeney to Central Washington to hear directly from our region’s tribes,” said Rep. Newhouse. “Native communities in Central Washington and across the country are affected by the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women, and the federal government must do more to help tribes and law enforcement investigate and solve open cases in order to provide relief for the loved ones of these women.”

RICHLAND – The Department of State and Northwest Power and Conservation Council will host a town hall this evening to discuss the modernization of the Columbia River Treaty, according to a press release from Rep. Dan Newhouse, who requested the event.

The town hall will be held frmo 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the U.S. Federal Building Auditorium, 825 Jadwin Ave. in Richland.

“The people of Central Washington understand the critical role federal water infrastructure plays in our way of life, from renewable and affordable energy to irrigation for our region’s agriculture industry,” said Newhouse. “The Columbia River Treaty is important for all residents of the Pacific Northwest, and as the United States and Canada renegotiate the Treaty, it is important that our voices are heard. I thank the State Department and Jill Smail for accepting my invitation to visit Tri-Cities to answer questions and listen to the concerns of Central Washington as they work to modernize this important agreement.”

U.S. Columbia River Treaty Negotiator Jill Smail will lead the town hall, which is free of charge and open to the public. U.S. government representatives will provide an overview of the negotiations and take questions from the public. For more information, including call-in details, please see the Department of State’s Treaty website.