In the News
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal legislators in Washington, D.C. seem to agree the Renewable Fuel Standard needs to be reformed, as demonstrated by a pair of bills currently circulating in both houses of Congress. The specifics of how the standard should be amended, however, still need to be fleshed out.
ESSEX JUNCTION – U.S. Rep. Peter Welch visited a family owned motorcycle shop in Essex Junction on Monday and announced he has reintroduced bipartisan legislation that would abolish a federal mandate to add biofuels, such as corn ethanol, to gasoline.
"Current law requires that corn-based ethanol be a part of all of our fuel," Welch said. "The corn-based ethanol has been a well-intentioned flop. It just has not achieved the goals it was set out to do."
A who's who of Madera County politicians debated in Madera South High School's inaugural civic symposium on Friday.
Congressman Jim Costa, Sen. Anthony Cannella, Assembly Member Frank Bigelow, County Supervisor Brett Frazier and Madera Mayor Robert Poythress answered questions from students ranging from President Barack Obama's executive order on immigration to high speed rail.
The symposium was limited to students in the school's senior class, who had to apply to attend the event.
Thumbs up to the California lawmakers for helping to relaunch a bid to put the House of Representatives on record as recognizing the Armenian genocide. The resolution was introduced this week with more than 40 co-sponsors. Noting the upcoming 100th anniversary, Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, said, "Our detractors will always say, ‘Now is not the right time.' I say, The time is now." A century is long enough to wait.
WASHINGTON — California lawmakers on Wednesday helped relaunch the latest, long-shot bid to put the House of Representatives on record as recognizing the Armenian genocide.
A perennial effort that always faces stiff political and diplomatic headwinds, the familiar resolution was introduced Wednesday with more than 40 co-sponsors, some of them House freshmen. The intention, though, remains the same as it has been for several decades.
Some of this area's top government leaders gathered recently to discuss the future of the Castle Aviation and Commerce Center.
If you are not aware of the issues in Castle's decades-old redevelopment saga, here are some of the key topics discussed: the current infrastructure, the cost of doing business in the park that businesses must take on, needed demolitions of buildings on the property, the current lack of easy access to Highway 99, and the lack of skilled workers staying in the region.
Given that old adage, "You can't tell where you're going unless you know where you've been," casting a close eye over last year's congressional voting patterns is in order.
Sure, that was an election year for a divided Capitol, while Republicans now run the whole show and their performance isn't subject to formal assessment by the voters until next year. But still, members behaved in the second half of the 113th Congress in ways distinctive enough to create several storylines to watch throughout the 114th.
The formation of a new, bipartisan Congressional Chicken Caucus in the United States House of Representatives has been announced.
The caucus will serve as a formal group of members whose mission is to educate members of Congress and others about the history, contributions and issues of importance to US chicken producers, pertaining to food safety, international trade, labor, animal welfare, immigration and environmental issues, among others.
Chicken industry vital to the economy
MENDOTA, Calif. — In this region that calls itself "The Cantaloupe Center of the World," vast fields that once annually yielded millions of melons lie fallow. And, for some farmers, planting tomatoes and other traditional row crops may now constitute acts of courage.
America's largest agriculture economy is changing because of a lack of water. Amid a prolonged drought and an anticipated third straight year of cutbacks in federal water supplies, the one assured constant is stress.
There's the well-known Tea Party Caucus, the popular Congressional Wine Caucus and, with just seven members, the obscure Potato Caucus.
Don't forget the Motorcycle Caucus, the Senate Diabetes Caucus or the Congressional Cement Caucus.
How about tennis? There's a caucus for that. Soccer? That, too. Shellfish? Yup.
In fact, it seems there's a caucus for just about everything. This Congress, there's more than 250.
Local, state and federal leaders gathered Saturday at The Fresno Center to address recent immigration enforcement actions that have caused widespread fear and disruption in Central Valley immigrant communities.
SACRAMENTO, California — California farmers — some of President Donald Trump’s staunchest supporters in the deep blue state — are sticking with him, even after he wasted their water.
The head of Customs and Border Patrol told Fresno’s democratic congressman that the immigration enforcement operation it carried out in the Central Valley this week has concluded and was confined to Kern County, the U.S. representative said Saturday during a news conference.
(Inside California Politics) — Congressman Jim Costa, D-Fresno, joined Inside California Politics co-host Frank Buckley to discuss President Biden’s executive actio
MARIPOSA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Traveling to Yosemite National Park as a group is now easier for people who live in Fresno, or visit the city.
Four brand new YARTS buses are now available, extending the Highway 41 corridor.
"There was absolutely no way, that we could pass up the opportunity to ensure that our residents here in Fresno, as well as those passing through our airport, and visiting would not have the ability to access the gem that we have in Yosemite," said Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer.