In the News
Wetlands advocates work to raise Highway 37
by Dan Ashley and Tim Didion
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- There's a vocal debate over building a better Bay Area, by building a better highway. At stake is not just traffic, but potentially vast stretches of restored wetlands. When Kendall Webster gazes across the levees and farmland in southern Sonoma County, she can envision the tidal marshes that once flushed water back and forth from meandering waterways to San Pablo Bay. "And so this whole flatland here was a mosaic of tidal wetlands," she explains. It's a vast … Continue Reading
August 10, 2022
Jared Huffman: House expected to pass Inflation Reduction Act by end of this week
by Sonia Waraich
While the cost for some things like housing and food continuing to go up, inflation is leveling out thanks to a decrease in gas prices. North Coast Congressman Jared Huffman says the area’s residents can expect more relief to come their way as soon as the House of Representatives prepares to pass the Inflation Reduction Act. “There aren’t going to be any changes to the bill and I expect it to pass smoothly out of the House at the end of the week,” Huffman told The … Continue Reading
August 10, 2022
Sonoma County to receive $2.6 million federal grant to cover Kincade Fire costs
by Emma Murphy
Sonoma County is set to receive $2.6 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cover costs connected with the 2019 Kincade Fire. Reps. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, and Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, announced the grant in a news release Wednesday and praised FEMA for reimbursing the county. “This fire caused widespread evacuations, forcing the county to set up their emergency operations center and emergency shelters for evacuees,” Thompson said in the release. … Continue Reading
August 09, 2022
PD Editorial: An important step toward saving the planet
by THE EDITORIAL BOARD
News headlines are packed with alarming examples of the multiplying impacts of climate change — immense wildfires, extreme heat, flash floods in the midst of a punishing drought. No single country acting alone, and no single piece of legislation, will overcome this clear and present global danger. But the bill that cleared the U.S. Senate on Sunday may be the most transformative climate legislation in American history. The bill, which also addresses health care and taxes, is headed for … Continue Reading
August 09, 2022
PD Editorial: An important step toward saving the planet
by THE EDITORIAL BOARD
News headlines are packed with alarming examples of the multiplying impacts of climate change — immense wildfires, extreme heat, flash floods in the midst of a punishing drought. No single country acting alone, and no single piece of legislation, will overcome this clear and present global danger. But the bill that cleared the U.S. Senate on Sunday may be the most transformative climate legislation in American history. The bill, which also addresses health care and taxes, is headed for … Continue Reading
August 09, 2022
Marin, state stand to gain from historic new climate and energy bill
by Paul Rogers
From offshore wind turbines to electric vehicles to solar panels, the state — and Marin — stand to emerge as major winners with the passage of a historic climate and energy bill in Washington, D.C., which experts said could supercharge California’s already ambitious emissions goals. The bill, dubbed the “Inflation Reduction Act,” cleared the U.S. Senate on a 51-50 vote this week, with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking a tie. It now heads to the House of … Continue Reading
August 05, 2022
(PHOTOS) ELK RIVER ESTUARY ENHANCEMENT: Huffman Tours Project Site to Learn More About Restoration Strategies and Local Efforts to Curb Sea Level Rise
by Isabella Vanderheiden
GHD Inc. Project Engineer Patrick Sullivan (right) describes the ins and outs of the Elk River Estuary Enhancement Project to Rep. Jared Huffman. | Photos by Andrew Goff For the better part of a decade, the City of Eureka has been dreaming up a plan to rehabilitate and restore wetland habitat along Elk River Estuary on Humboldt Bay. The ambitious Elk River Estuary Enhancement Project, which broke ground earlier this summer, will open up a network of waterways connected to Elk River to … Continue Reading
August 05, 2022
Officials Celebrate Completion Of US 101 Petaluma Widening Project
by Maggie Fusek
SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Caltrans and the Sonoma County Transportation Authority held a ribbon-cutting Friday to celebrate the completion of the Petaluma Widening Project that adds carpool lanes to a four-mile stretch of Highway 101 between Lakeville Highway and Old Redwood Highway in Sonoma County, Caltrans announced in a news release. Attending the celebration Friday were U.S. Congressman Jared Huffman, California State Senator Mike McGuire, Petaluma Mayor Teresa Barrett, Caltrans … Continue Reading
August 03, 2022
Huffman Tours the Future Hydrogen Fueling Station, Credits Humboldt Transit Authority for Taking the Lead in Zero-Emission Public Transportation on the North Coast
by Isabella Vanderheiden
Whilst touring around Eureka on Tuesday, our very own Congressman Jared Huffman decided to pop by the Humboldt Transit Authority (HTA) to learn more about the agency’s effort to bring clean energy to the North Coast. The California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) recently awarded a $38.7 million grant to the HTA to fund a fleet of zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell electric buses to replace existing diesel buses and connect riders to Mendocino County and, ultimately, the … Continue Reading
August 03, 2022
Deal Would Mean USPS Can’t ‘Drag Its Feet’ on Electric Vehicles
by Lillianna Byington
Democrats’ new reconciliation deal adds to pressure on the US Postal Service to amend its controversial vehicle contract. The USPS would secure $3 billion to electrify its trucks under legislation negotiated by Sen. Joe Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that could get a vote in the chamber this week. The spending would come as USPS has faced scrutiny and lawsuits for its plan to buy a bulk of new gasoline-powered delivery trucks from Oshkosh … Continue Reading
August 02, 2022
Democrats call on IRS to review right-wing group’s ‘church’ status
by Jack Jenkins
Congressional House Democrats are asking the IRS to review the tax-exempt status of a prominent conservative advocacy group recently reclassified as a church, arguing the organization may be exploiting the designation to avoid scrutiny. Forty Democratic lawmakers, led by U.S. Reps. Suzan DelBene (Wash.) and Jared Huffman (Calif.), outlined their concerns about the Family Research Council in a letter sent to the head of the IRS and the secretary of the Treasury on Monday. … Continue Reading
August 02, 2022
Rep. Jared Huffman tours HTA hydrogen-powered bus facility
by Austin Castro
EUREKA, Calif. — On Monday, Rep. Jared Huffman visited an upcoming facility for 11 new hydrogen-fueled buses on the North Coast. Huffman's visit to the Humboldt Transit Authority comes after a nearly $39 million grant was awarded to the agency, which will be used in part for the new buses. "This grant started out just to follow the innovative clean transport rule that by 2030, we won't be able to purchase any more diesel buses," Humboldt Transit Authority General Manager Greg … Continue Reading
August 02, 2022
A Right-Wing Think Tank Claimed to Be a Church. Now, Members of Congress Want to Investigate
Forty members of Congress on Monday asked the IRS and the Treasury to investigate what the lawmakers termed an “alarming pattern” of right-wing advocacy groups registering with the tax agency as churches, a move that allows the organizations to shield themselves from some financial reporting requirements and makes it easier to avoid audits. Reps. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., and Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., raised transparency concerns in a letter to the heads of both … Continue Reading
August 01, 2022
Talks on Highway 37’s future underway as sea-level threat looms
by Will Houston
For generations, the 21-mile route linking Marin County and Vallejo has been essential for commuters and travelers. Now Highway 37 has become something more — a centerpiece in a growing debate on how the Bay Area and California should respond to climate change and when politicians should bite the bullet to spend the billions of dollars needed to deal with it. Caltrans is studying a plan to widen a traffic-prone, 10-mile stretch of the highway at a cost of nearly half a billion dollars … Continue Reading
July 29, 2022
House clears drought, wildfire package
by Annie Snider
The House approved a sprawling package of bills aimed at addressing worsening droughts and wildfires in the West on a 218-199 vote Friday evening. The details: The Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act, H.R. 5118 (117), compiles four dozen individual measures, including those to boost wildland firefighter pay and benefits, spell out which types of forest management projects are subject to federal environmental review and create strike teams to swiftly complete those … Continue Reading
July 28, 2022
Dem bills would ban whale capture for public display
by Rob Hotakainen
New legislation introduced in both the House and Senate this week would prohibit whales from being captured or bred for public display. “The science and tragic real-life experiences have shown us time and again that marine mammals suffer from being in captivity, often being exploited and abused, but our laws and practices don’t reflect that,” said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), chair of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife. Huffman … Continue Reading
July 28, 2022
Climate crisis hawks have questions about energy policies in Democrats’ new bill
by Jennifer Haberkorn
Climate crisis hawks are raising significant questions about Democrats’ emerging legislative deal to address healthcare, energy and taxes, a potential roadblock to swift passage of a key portion of President Biden’s agenda. If approved, the bill — an agreement cut in secret between Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) with the White House’s blessing — would include $369 billion for climate provisions and reduce … Continue Reading
July 27, 2022
‘Holy s--t’: Surprise Senate deal sets stage for record climate change package
by Zack Colman
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin salvaged a deal on Wednesday for a bill that includes the biggest climate spending package in U.S. history, devoting hundreds of billions of dollars to clean energy technologies. Their agreement, which came after Manchin had rejected climate and energy measures two weeks ago under the Democrats’ reconciliation package, is aimed at slashing carbon emissions an estimated 40 percent from 2005 levels … Continue Reading
July 27, 2022
'What The Hell Are We Waiting For?' Democrats Urge Climate Emergency Declaration
by Jessica Corbett
Progressive leaders in Congress and activists on Wednesday came together to call on U.S. President Joe Biden to declare a climate emergency, which would give his administration more resources to take on the global crisis. "It couldn't be clearer that the climate crisis is here and needs to be addressed urgently," said Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who kicked off the event a day her district endured extreme heat. "We, together, are … Continue Reading
July 27, 2022
State allocates $2 million to headwaters conservation
by Josh Cozine
A project to conserve 11,000 acres of Trinity River headwaters received a $2 million allocation in this year’s state budget. The funds were announced alongside another $9 million in total for the region from Congressional District 2 Rep. Jared Huffman’s office. Pacific Forest Trust, a forest conservation nonprofit with offices in Northern California and Oregon, is listed as the entity receiving the funds. The nonprofit says it hopes to bundle the money with other funding … Continue Reading