News from Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
For Immediate Release
Contact: Russ Levsen, 202-226-4449
Chip Weiskotten, 202-226-8553

HERSETH SANDLIN ANNOUNCES NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE FIELD HEARING IN LOWER BRULE

Hearing Will Discuss Tribal Law Enforcement Issues Including Domestic Violence and Jail Facilities

May 21, 2007, Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin announced that she will host in South Dakota an official Natural Resources Committee field hearing to discuss a range of law enforcement issues important to South Dakota’s nine Sioux Tribes. The hearing will take place on Friday, June 1, 2007, in Lower Brule, S.D., and will feature testimony from three panels of witnesses, including tribal chairmen from around the state, to discuss violence against women, jail facilities and other law enforcement issues.

This meeting represents the first Indian Affairs field hearing of the Natural Resources Committee in 2007 anywhere in the country. Rep. Herseth Sandlin has served on the Natural Resources Committee since her election to Congress in June 2004. The Natural Resources Committee has jurisdiction over key South Dakota issues including Native American issues, forests, national parks, fisheries and wildlife.

Rep. Herseth Sandlin said, “Tribal governments face unique challenges when confronting difficult and complex law enforcement issues. The goal of this hearing will be to hear direct testimony from tribal leaders from around the state to explore how the federal government can better assist tribal governments in meeting basic public safety and law enforcement goals.”

The field hearing, officially titled “The Needs and Challenges of Tribal Law Enforcement on Indian Reservations,” will be presided over by Rep. Herseth Sandlin. The meeting will be held at the Lower Brule Tribal Headquarters at 12:00pm, and will include public testimony from a range of tribal leaders. A full witness list will be released later this week.

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Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin serves South Dakota in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats committed to fiscal discipline and strong national security, and is co-chair of the Rural Working Group, which is dedicated to raising the profile of issues important to rural America. She also serves on three committees vital to South Dakota’s interests: Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs and Resources. In the 110th Congress, Herseth Sandlin was appointed to serve on the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.