Yearly Archives: 2016

With spring now taking hold in California, CAL FIRE is already staffing up for fire season, while focusing the efforts of its crews on preventing large and damaging wildfires. Recent rains have been a welcome sight to drought parched California, but CAL FIRE firefighters are not letting their guard down, instead they are training for another potential busy fire season and working hard to prevent wildfires. Across the State, CAL FIRE has already hired a surge of over 400 additional seasonal firefighters, whose focus includes fire prevention, fuel reduction and defensible space programs.

With March storms boosting reservoir levels, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) today increased its water delivery estimate (allocation) for most recipients to 45 percent of requests for the calendar year.

Congressman Xavier Becerra (CA-34), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus and representative for Downtown Los Angeles, announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded over $39 million in federal grants to local homeless programs that serve the 34^th Congressional District.

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today sent a letter to the Commerce Department and Federal Emergency Management Agency calling for detailed guidelines to ensure federal agencies comply with the administration’s recent executive order on earthquake preparedness.

Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D | Los Angeles County) announced that he will introduce an amendment to the House Budget Resolution to help cities, counties and states get the lead out of America’s drinking water

On Thursday, Congressman Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) joined the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) for a wide-ranging discussion about how to overcome the challenges facing the state and the nation:

Moderating home price appreciation and improving housing inventory combined to spur California’s housing market in February as existing home sales increased from both the previous month and year, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) said today.

U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell (CA-15) today led 122 House members in urging robust funding for the Department of Energy’s effort to partner the federal government with industry, academia, and research facilities to advance America’s energy efficiency and renewable energy innovation.

Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-51) and Rep. Dan Donovan (R-NY) introduced the “Wounded Warrior Housing Reform Act of 2016” (H.R. 4753). This bipartisan bill would add disability compensation and pension benefits for veterans of a period of war who are 65 years of age or older to the list of items that are excluded from income, to determine a veteran’s eligibility for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) housing assistance programs

This afternoon, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40) led the planting of a tree on the U.S. Capitol Grounds in honor of her father, the late Congressman Edward R. Roybal. The tree, a red oak (Quercus rubra), was planted on the south side of the U.S. House along Southwest Drive, near the intersection of Independence Avenue SW and South Capitol Street. Congressman Roybal served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1963 to 1993, and was one of the era’s leading congressional voices on health care, education, housing, and jobs policy.

Jim Costa (CA-16) released the following statement regarding the determination by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s to reduce the Bureau of Reclamation’s flexibility to pump water at the maximum levels allowable under the flawed biological opinions

Sotheby’s International Realty’s Greater Los Angeles Market Report reveals that Beverly Hills and Pacific Palisades are continuing to rule the Southern California luxury housing marketplace after a hot start to 2016

As the State’s annual Fire Prevention Fee bills begin to be mailed out, CAL FIRE is working with counties to ensure homeowner’s whose homes were destroyed in last year’s wildfires receive an exemption from paying the fee. Officials have endeavored to remove addresses of homes known to have been destroyed by natural disasters since July 1, 2015. However, should homeowners still receive a bill; CAL FIRE has a number of resources to assist them through the exemption process.

U.S. Representative Ed Royce (R-Calif.), author of the Pay Back the Taxpayers Act of 2015 to prohibit Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from diverting funds to the Housing Trust Fund while the GSEs are in conservatorship, released the following statement in reaction to the GSEs' transfer of over $180 million to the fund

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement calling on federal agencies to increase pumping as much as possible within the bounds of the biological opinions to capture and store more water during March storms

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is honoring the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) with a 2016 Climate Leadership Award for its innovation in helping fight climate change. DWR—one of just three awardees in California—received an Organizational Leadership Award for protecting the state’s water supply.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding $295,507 to Lucid Design Group, Inc., located in Oakland, to develop innovative technology to protect the environment. A total of about $2.4 million was awarded to eight small businesses nationwide; Lucid is the sole recipient in California.

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40) announced that her father, the late Congressman Edward R. Roybal, will have a tree planted in his honor on the U.S. Capitol Grounds during a ceremony on Wednesday, March 16, 2016, at 2:00 PM ET. The tree, a red oak (Quercus rubra), will be planted on the Capitol’s south side. Congressman Roybal served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1963 to 1993, and was one of the era’s leading congressional voices on health care, education, housing, and jobs policy.

For the first time since August 2014, pending home sales in California decreased in January on an annual basis, according to a recent report from the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.). On a monthly basis, statewide pending home sales rose from December

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has been honored by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its organizational leadership in addressing climate change.