In the News
US residents monitor Fukushima radiation
John Bertucci carries his Geiger counter wherever he goes. The counter, which is a little larger than his hand, measures radiation levels in the air around him. "I'm still learning how to use the device but it gives me peace of mind to know that I can do something to inform and protect myself," said Bertucci, who lives in Petaluma, a small town close to California’s northern coast. Burtucci isn't a scientist. He's a filmmaker who has lived in Petaluma since the 1950s. He says he's … Continue Reading
January 14, 2014
Northern California Coastal Spot is 1 of 52 Places in the World to Visit
California has over 800 miles of ocean coastline, and while I haven't wandered its full length, I've been hard pressed to find a spot that was not worth visiting. Sure, Malibu and Big Sur are the popular and easy-to-please spots, but I'm always the most excited to visit the harder-to-reach and lesser known coastline, from Montaña de Oro to Año Nuevo and beyond. That's why I was pleased to see that the New York Times featured California's North Coast in its "52 Places to Go in 2014" this … Continue Reading
January 14, 2014
Jared Huffman reflects on freshman year in Congress
Phyllis Holloway of Independence, Mo., was horrified that the House of Representatives went home for the holidays last month, letting unemployment benefits expire for 1.3 million jobless workers. She called her congressman to express her outrage, even though he represents 413,309 constituents on the North Coast of California, half a continent away from her home near the Missouri-Kansas border. Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman of San Rafael said, in essence: "Me, too, mom." Reflecting on … Continue Reading
December 30, 2013
Legislators call for improved school, library Internet
More than two dozen members of Congress have signed a letter calling for upgrades to a federal program that subsidizes Internet access at schools and libraries. "The program hasn't kept pace with changing technology," Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, said in a statement. Most schools currently have Internet access but their connections are too slow to accommodate the latest in computerized educational tools, according to the letter sent to the Federal Communications Commission. The … Continue Reading
December 26, 2013
Congressman Huffman tours Highway 101 at Last Chance Grade
Del Norte County - Congressman Jared Huffman was in Del Norte County taking a tour of Last Chance Grade. It’s a two-lane section of Highway 101 South of Crescent City. The road may appear stable, but everyday it’s moving closer towards the ocean. The Project Manager for Last Chance Grade, Talitha Hodgson said, "It’s been an issue since the road was built, the instability out there." The unstable road conditions are something Community Co-Chair for the Last Chance Grade Committee, Kurt … Continue Reading
December 16, 2013
Congress Urges Action on Mexico Turtle Deaths
US Congress calling for halt to thousands of endangered sea turtle deaths in Baja Mexico fishery Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-2nd) and 12 House members urged Obama officials to pressure Mexico to immediately end the needless drownings of Pacific loggerhead sea turtles in a Baja California fishery -- a global hot spot for turtle bycatch. The Congressional letter seeks to pressure the Obama administration to step up its efforts to end the excess sea turtle bycatch in Mexico. The U.S. requires … Continue Reading
December 13, 2013
Unemployment insurance extension due to expire Dec. 28
California's Employment Development Department is notifying 222,000 Californians their federal unemployment insurance benefits will run out on Dec. 28. This federal program provides unemployment insurance payments to Californians after the state benefits have been exhausted. California pays up to 26 weeks of unemployment insurance. The expiring program provided up to 37 additional weeks of unemployment insurance for long-term unemployed Californians. The program expires at year end … Continue Reading
December 11, 2013
Deal on sequestration cuts could ease pressure on Marin programs
A prospective federal budget deal that would soften sequestration cuts through September 2015 was announced Wednesday, but Marin officials said it is unclear whether the agreement will restore cuts to local programs made earlier this year. In Marin, the cuts included a freeze on the issuance of low-income housing vouchers, a reduction in the number of meals delivered to needy seniors, reduced funding for special education programs and cuts in funding to federal parks. Lee Pullen, … Continue Reading
December 04, 2013
Friends of China Camp Reach Amended Agreement with State
Friends of China Camp reached an amended agreement in November with the state Department of Park and Recreation to fund China Camp State Park, Olompali State Historic Park and Tomales Bay State Park. The group, which has been running China Camp since 2012, will continue to do so while the state will maintain the other two parks. The state will match previous donations and volunteer hours at $24.75 per hour, providing China Camp with about $1 million in funds with an expiration date of June … Continue Reading
December 02, 2013
Area lawmakers request tougher penalties for trespass grows
Several California lawmakers, including Congressmen Jared Huffman and Mike Thompson, sent a letter last month to the U.S. Sentencing Commission requesting tougher penalties for marijuana growing on federal and some private lands. The letter considers "the production and cultivation of controlled substances in particularly marijuana, on public lands or while trespassing on private property" to be a "direct threat to our environment and public safety." "We are concerned that existing … Continue Reading
November 26, 2013
Dick Spotswood: Lots of fingerpointing over large Corte Madera apartment complex
There’s a silver lining in the dark cloud that's over the 180-unit high-density apartment complex being built in Corte Madera. The 40 units-per-acre project adjacent to Highway 101 presents an easy-to-understand model of what most Marinites don't want replicated. If success has many fathers and failure is an orphan, then the Tamal Vista Apartments, mostly market-rate housing on the site of the old WinCup factory, is parentless. No one seems to claim that they had anything to do with … Continue Reading
November 20, 2013
Willits celebrates 125 years
Community members gathered in the Willits Community Center to celebrate the city's 125th birthday on Thursday, Nov. 14. Willits incorporated as a city on Nov. 19, 1888. The evening began with a welcome to attendees and thanks expressed to event organizer, Deputy City Clerk Cathy Sanders. The City of Willits was awarded a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from Congressman Jared Huffman's representative, Heidi Dickerson. The certificate was presented "in recognition of … Continue Reading
November 19, 2013
PD Editorial: An attack on states’ food safety laws
It's easy to assume that partisan squabbling defines every dispute in Congress. This editorial, however, is about a subject that may defy the usual Democrats vs. Republicans storyline: states' authority to enact laws governing food safety and farming practices. Beginning in 2015, barely 13 months from now, a voter-approved law requires California farmers to provide hens, sows and veal calves with enough room to move — to stand or lie down, to turn around or extend their limbs — in their … Continue Reading
November 14, 2013
Huffman: Haiyan a climate change ‘wake-up call’
Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, took to the House floor today to say the world should hear Typhoon Haiyan - which devastated part of the Philippines this week - as a “wake-up call on climate change.” “Thank you Madam Speaker.” “I rise today to once again speak about the issue of climate change, which is affecting every country, but as the World Bank has found, the impacts are not distributed equally. It is likely that the poorest nations on earth will be the hardest hit. The UN ranks … Continue Reading
November 05, 2013
Conservation leader receives national advocacy award
Ann Cole, Executive Director of the Mendocino Land Trust, received the Advocate of the Year award from the Conservation Lands Foundation. This award is granted for exhibiting outstanding leadership, courage, creativity, and effectiveness in defending, promoting, and expanding the National Conservation Lands. Cole received the award for her exceptional work advocating for the inclusion of the Stornetta Public Lands in the California Coastal National Monument. The award ceremony took place on … Continue Reading
October 30, 2013
Huffman introduces Trinity County land exchange bill
Congressman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, last week introduced H.R. 326, a bill to help Trinity County’s economy by facilitating a land exchange between the Trinity Public Utilities District, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. The bill would swap federal land adjacent to the Weaverville Airport for county land along the Trinity River. Trinity County has very little land suitable for economic development — 76 percent of its land is held by the federal government — and … Continue Reading
October 18, 2013
Marin national parks poised to re-open as federal shutdown winds down
The gates to the Muir Woods National Monument and Stinson Beach are expected to swing open as soon as Thursday morning as the federal shutdown appeared to be coming to an end. Visitors to Muir Woods were still being turned away Wednesday afternoon, as they have been since Oct. 1. "As soon as the order is lifted we will begin ramping up again and resume operations," said Alex Picavet, spokeswoman for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. "The gates at Muir Woods and Stinson could open … Continue Reading
October 06, 2013
Snow Mountain a good deal for land, people
The issue: National Conservation Area offers benefits from consistent land management One of the benefits of living in California is the ready access to breathtaking natural landmarks. While the rest of the country is familiar with such awe-inspiring landscapes as Yosemite Valley and Lake Tahoe, we locals know we’re only a short drive away from a variety of primeval beauty spots from shore to mountain. One particularlywell-hidden gem is the Berryessa Snow Mountain region. Stretching from … Continue Reading
September 26, 2013
Northern California members of Congress ask about federal funding for the Sacramento Delta tunnels
As both chambers of Congress discuss federal spending for the next fiscal year, a group of Northern California members sent a letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior requesting specific information on past and future federal funding for the proposed Peripheral Tunnel project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The letter’s signatories also expressed strong concerns about the plan’s impact on Northern California’s economy. The group has met with Interior Secretary Sally Jewell … Continue Reading
September 23, 2013
Statesman Journal: Bill Keeps Timber Issue Relevant
A forestry bill approved by the GOP-majority House on Friday likely won’t advance in Congress, but it will keep logging and federal payments to rural Oregon counties on the legislative agenda. The House bill would increase logging in federal forests, continue payments to cash-strapped rural counties and adopt a new policy for 18 western Oregon counties that have land that once belonged to the Oregon and California Railroad. The Democratic-majority Senate is unlikely to take it up. The … Continue Reading