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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 2 november 2022
Hoopa Valley Tribe sues US over California water contracts

By Kathleen Ronayne contract was approved
Associated Press and a judge later declined
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) to validate it. But Westlands
— The Hoopa Valley Tribe and the federal govern-
alleged in a lawsuit Mon- ment are still moving for-
day that the federal gov- ward with it, Westlands
ernment is violating its sov- spokeswoman Shelley Cart-
ereignty and failing to col- wright said. The district has
lect money from California rejected claims it received
farms that rely on federally special treatment.
supplied water to pay for The suit alleges the con-
damages to tribal fisheries. tract fails to include re-
The tribe, which has a res- quirements for habitat res-
ervation in northwest Cali- toration payments. As Ber-
fornia, says in its lawsuit nhardt left office, he wrote
against the Biden adminis- a memo agreeing with staff
tration that the Trinity River recommendations that
that it relies on for food and most environmental miti-
cultural purposes has been gation work related to the
decimated by decades of Central Valley Project was
the federal government di- complete. Daniel Cordalis,
verting water. Lewiston Dam on the Trinity River at Lewiston, Calif., is viewed March 12, 2003. deputy solicitor for water
The suit alleges the U.S. De- Associated Press resources in Biden’s Interior
partment of the Interior has Department, later rescind-
failed to follow laws that re- consult with the tribe on dated laws governing the the contracts had to be ed that decision. But the
quire the contractors who matters related to the river. water project’s operation reapproved on a regular tribes allege the money has
use that water to pay mon- The Interior Department de- in 1992. It gave the tribe basis. still not been paid. Cherry,
ey for habitat restoration clined to comment through some power to concur Westlands Water District, the interior spokesman,
projects. It says those con- spokesman Tyler Cherry. over changes to river flows, the nation’s largest agricul- didn’t respond to an email
tractors owe $340 million for Since the 1950s, the Trin- added requirements for tural water district, was one asking for the department’s
environmental restoration ity River has been a ma- protecting fish in the Trinity of the contractors that con- current position on whether
work along the Trinity River jor source of water for the River, and stated any re- verted its water contract to the work is done.
and other places dam- Central Valley Project, a newals of long-term water a permanent one. The new Tribal leaders, though, say
aged by water diversions. system of dams, reservoirs contracts had to follow ex- agreement doesn’t grant restoration work is far from
“The river has become a and canals that sends wa- isting laws. Westlands any additional complete and that the river
place that is no longer a ter south to farmers who At the end of the Obama water or promise that it will is in dire need of help.
healing place, but a place harvest fruits, nuts and administration, Congress get everything in dry years, “An integral part of the life
that is a sick place,” said Jill other crops. Fish that swim passed a law saying that but it effectively gives the here is the Trinity River.
Sherman-Warne, a mem- through the river include any temporary federal district a contract for wa- That changed dramatically
ber of the Hoopa tribal the coho salmon, which is contracts for water could ter in perpetuity. The deal in the 1950s when Congress
council. listed as an endangered be turned into permanent was controversial because chose to dam up the river,”
The suit also alleges that species. Twelve miles of the ones if they pay back the David Bernhardt, a former said Mike Orcutt, fisheries
the federal government river flow through the tribe’s federal government for Westlands lobbyist, was in- director for the Hoopa Val-
has failed to appropriately reservation. Congress up- certain costs. Previously, terior secretary when the ley Tribe. q

States struggle with pushback after wave of policing reforms

By Denise Lavoie, Tatyana RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The the death of George Floyd at broadening police ac- Many of the accountability
Monnay and Juliette Rihl national reckoning on race with a Minneapolis police countability; five states only laws touched on themes
Associated Press and policing that followed officer’s knee on his neck passed new police protec- present in Floyd’s death,
spurred a torrent of state tions. including the use of body
laws aimed at fixing the po- States collectively ap- cameras and requirements
lice. proved nearly 300 police that police report excessive
More than two years later, reform bills after Floyd’s kill- force by their colleagues.
that torrent has slowed. ing in May 2020, according Among other things, police
Some of the initial reforms to an analysis by the How- rights measures gave offi-
have been tweaked or ard Center for Investigative cers the power to sue civil-
even rolled back after po- Journalism at the University ians for violating their civil
lice complained that the of Maryland. The analysis rights.
new policies were hinder- used data from the Na- North Carolina, for exam-
ing their ability to catch tional Conference of State ple, passed a broad law
criminals. Legislatures to identify leg- that lets authorities charge
And while governors in all islation enacted since June civilians if their conduct al-
but five states signed police 2020 that affects police legedly interfered with an
reform laws, many of those oversight, training, use of officer’s duty.
laws gave police more pro- force policies and mental But it also created a public
Protesters kneel in front of New York City Police Department officers tections, as well. health diversions, including database of officers who
before being arrested for violating curfew beside the iconic More than a dozen states crisis intervention and alter- were fired or suspended for
Plaza Hotel on 59th Street, Wednesday, June 3, 2020, in New York. only passed laws aimed natives to arrests.
Associated Press misconduct.q