WASHINGTON (Gray DC) -- New Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak tells Gray Television's Alana Austin he didn't plan on attending weekend White House meetings, because of the recent secret shipment of weapon-grade plutonium to Nevada from the federal government.
Sisolak and other bipartisan leaders from Nevada recently learned of the 2018 transfer and raised concerns about states' rights and potential hazards and risk posed to Nevadans.
On the decision not to attend White House meetings over the National Governors Association winter conference in DC this weekend, Sisolak says, "It's just difficult for me to go and break bread with someone that you can't trust."
When asked whether this is a missed opportunity to address Nevadans' concerns directly with the federal government, Sisolak says he has not received much response from the White House since the recent revelation.
He adds, "If I can't count on getting accurate information, what's the sense in making the pitch to them, and having the discussion? I thought we were in the midst of discussions and negotiating in good faith, and that proved not to be the case."
Gray Television, owner of KOLO-TV, reached out to the White House Friday afternoon and got this response:
“It’s disappointing that Nevada’s new Governor would choose not to take up his concerns with senior administration officials despite being given that opportunity. The Trump Administration is open to discussions with the Governor on this topic as well as others. Governor Sisolak has been invited to the White House twice in the last two months and turned down the invitation both times – that partisan approach is disappointing.” Judd Deere
That prompted this response from Sisolak's office:
“Since learning on January 30th that the U.S. Department of Energy had secretly shipped half a metric ton of weapons-grade plutonium to Nevada in spite of ongoing litigation and discussions, my administration and our federal delegation have sought answers from the Trump administration to address the many serious concerns we have over this secret shipment, its potential health hazards to the state, and the federal government’s failure to inform my predecessor.
“I will not back down and reverse decades of principled opposition from both Democratic and Republican leaders in Nevada to any and all attempts to force feed our state nuclear material. This has nothing to do with partisanship -- it's about standing up for the health and safety of Nevadans.
“I am ready to meet face-to-face with President Trump today, tomorrow, or any time to have a serious, substantive conversation about stopping Nevada from becoming the nation's nuclear dumping ground. The people of Nevada will not be taken advantage of, and fancy political receptions will not make our concerns go away. I hope the president and his administration are sincere about their willingness to address this issue, and I and look forward to hearing from the Trump administration about when we can meet.”
