NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — Lake County’s representative in the California Assembly has been promoted to a key role in the Legislature.
On Friday, Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) was appointed speaker pro tempore of the California Assembly by Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Salinas), who administered the oath of office to her in a ceremony at the State Capitol.
“I am extraordinarily grateful to Speaker Rivas for his faith and confidence in me,” Aguiar-Curry said. “I am excited to work hand in hand with Majority Leader Bryan and the rest of our leadership team to serve the speaker, the Assembly Democratic Caucus, our legislative institutions, and the working people of this state.”
The Assembly speaker pro-tempore reports directly to Speaker Rivas and runs the Assembly floor together with the Majority Leader Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles).
“I won’t lie to you, I never thought I would be here — ever, in my wildest dreams — because I, like many others, started from nothing and here I am a grandmother, and I’m standing in front of all of you, telling you that we are going to change the world,” Aguiar-Curry said.
She said she couldn’t ask for a better job and told Rivas she wouldn’t let him down.
Aguiar-Curry, first elected to the Legislature in November 2016, represents the Fourth Assembly District, which includes all of Yolo, Napa, Colusa and Lake counties, and parts of Sonoma County.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured the “antics” of a pair of actively forming young stars, known as Herbig-Haro 46/47, in high-resolution near-infrared light.
To find them, trace the bright pink and red diffraction spikes until you hit the center: The stars are within the orange-white splotch. They are buried deeply in a disk of gas and dust that feeds their growth as they continue to gain mass. The disk is not visible, but its shadow can be seen in the two dark, conical regions surrounding the central stars.
The most striking details are the two-sided lobes that fan out from the actively forming central stars, represented in fiery orange. Much of this material was shot out from those stars as they repeatedly ingest and eject the gas and dust that immediately surround them over thousands of years.
When material from more recent ejections runs into older material, it changes the shape of these lobes. This activity is like a large fountain being turned on and off in rapid, but random succession, leading to billowing patterns in the pool below it. Some jets send out more material and others launch at faster speeds. Why? It’s likely related to how much material fell onto the stars at a particular point in time.
The stars’ more recent ejections appear in a threadlike blue. They run just below the red horizontal diffraction spike at 2 o’clock. Along the right side, these ejections make clearer wavy patterns. They are disconnected at points, and end in a remarkable uneven light purple circle in the thickest orange area. Lighter blue, curly lines also emerge on the left, near the central stars, but are sometimes overshadowed by the bright red diffraction spike.
All of these jets are crucial to star formation itself. Ejections regulate how much mass the stars ultimately gather. (The disk of gas and dust feeding the stars is small. Imagine a band tightly tied around the stars.)
Now, turn your eye to the second most prominent feature: the effervescent blue cloud. This is a region of dense dust and gas, known both as a nebula and more formally as a Bok globule. When viewed mainly in visible light, it appears almost completely black — only a few background stars peek through.
In Webb’s crisp near-infrared image, we can see into and through the gauzy layers of this cloud, bringing a lot more of Herbig-Haro 46/47 into focus, while also revealing a deep range of stars and galaxies that lie well beyond it. The nebula’s edges appear in a soft orange outline, like a backward L along the right and bottom.
This nebula is significant — its presence influences the shapes of the jets shot out by the central stars. As ejected material rams into the nebula on the lower left, there is more opportunity for the jets to interact with molecules within the nebula, causing them both to light up.
There are two other areas to look at to compare the asymmetry of the two lobes. Glance toward the upper right to pick out a blobby, almost sponge-shaped ejecta that appears separate from the larger lobe. Only a few threads of semitransparent wisps of material point toward the larger lobe.
Almost transparent, tentacle-like shapes also appear to be drifting behind it, like streamers in a cosmic wind. In contrast, at lower left, look beyond the hefty lobe to find an arc. Both are made up of material that was pushed the farthest and possibly by earlier ejections. The arcs appear to be pointed in different directions, and may have originated from different outflows.
Take another long look at this image. Although it appears Webb has snapped Herbig-Haro 46/47 edge-on, one side is angled slightly closer to Earth. Counterintuitively, it’s the smaller right half. Though the left side is larger and brighter, it is pointing away from us.
Over millions of years, the stars in Herbig-Haro 46/47 will fully form — clearing the scene of these fantastic, multihued ejections, allowing the binary stars to take center stage against a galaxy-filled background.
Webb can reveal so much detail in Herbig-Haro 46/47 for two reasons. The object is relatively close to Earth, and Webb’s image is made up of several exposures, which adds to its depth.
Herbig-Haro 46/47 lies only 1,470 light-years away in the Vela Constellation.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the world's premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency.
The Bureau of Land Management has awarded agreements with Cal Fire, Caltrans and the California Conservation Corps, to increase restoration work, fuels reduction and forest health projects on BLM-managed public lands in California.
The three cooperative agreements are being funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, also known as BIL.
Within the next five years, the Department of the Interior will receive $1.5 billion in BIL funding to invest in wildfire preparedness, fuels management, post-fire restoration and fire science — with BLM California receiving more than $15 million to date.
From that amount, the BLM will provide $800,000 of BIL funding to our partner agencies to complete the restoration work near important infrastructure such as roads, recreation areas and private homes.
These agreements were made through the Good Neighbor Authority, which enables the BLM to collaborate with state agencies to complete projects on BLM-managed lands statewide.
“We are excited to partner with Cal Fire, Caltrans and the California Conservation Corps on important projects on BLM-managed public lands throughout California,” said BLM California State Director Karen Mouritsen. “These agreements will result in better coordination for activities to reduce fuels that feed wildfires, protect wildlife habitat, improve forest health, and restore important watersheds.”
The BLM has used BIL funding for diverse projects throughout the state and will continue to add funding from other sources like appropriated, in-kind partnerships or donated funds, for restoration.
The BLM is excited to improve upon cross-jurisdictional coordination with partners for landscape-scale restoration. Good Neighbor Authority projects have a five-year project period and a lifetime funding cap of $12.8 million.
The California Conservation Corps agreement allows up to $4.2 million of funding to be added for restoration work. Activities will include adding fuel breaks, planting, post-fire burned area rehabilitation, prescribed fire, proactive forest and range restoration to improve wildlife habitat and livestock forage, noxious weed and invasive species treatments and wildland-urban interface fuels reduction.
The California Department of Transportation agreement allows up to $4.2 million of funding to be added to the agreement. In partnership with Caltrans, the goals of this project are to scale up forest management, reduce wildfire hazards, and enhance wildlife habitats on BLM-managed public lands near highways.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection agreement allows up to $4.5 million of funding to be added to the agreement. This project focuses on ecological resilience on BLM-managed lands.
The restoration work includes treating insect and disease-infested trees, reducing hazardous fuels, and other activities to restore and improve forest, rangeland, and watershed health, including fish and wildlife habitat.
For more information about the BLM’s restoration efforts under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, visit www.blm.gov/infrastructure.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The county of Lake announced that it has received a $75,000 grant from the California Cultural and Historical Endowment for the transformation of the Lake Pomo Gallery at the Historic Courthouse Museum in Lakeport.
This initiative, which began in March 2022, represents a collaborative effort between Lake County Museum staff and the volunteer Tribal Advisory Committee to the Museums of Lake County.
The funding is part of the $19.7 million awarded by the California Cultural and Historical Endowment to support 63 museum projects spanning from San Diego to Shasta counties.
These projects aim to provide resources for small capital projects and programs in museums that have been severely affected by COVID-19 and serve historically underserved communities or students subject to Title 1.
Wade Crowfoot, California Natural Resources Secretary, expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative, stating, “California's museums teach us about our state's dynamic, diverse history and culture. This funding will support projects across the state that lift up history and culture that has been underrepresented in the past and enable more people to learn these remarkable stories.”
The ambitious endeavor will lead to the establishment of a permanent exhibit in the Historic Courthouse Museum, showcasing the rich and vibrant history of the seven federally recognized Pomo Nations of the Clear Lake basin.
The exhibit will feature an extensive basketry collection and other cultural objects displayed in modern cases, incorporating dynamic mounts and interactive screens with oral histories and other cultural content in collaboration with the tribes in Lake County: Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians, Elem Indian Colony of Pomo Indians, Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, the Koi Nation of Northern California, Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California, the Robinson Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California and the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians.
Additionally, contemporary art from Pomo artists will be included to connect the present and future with the generations of Lake County's indigenous heritage.
Planning for this transformative project began in the summer 2023, with a grand opening scheduled for 2024.
The gallery will welcome museum visitors and students on tours, fostering knowledge and appreciation for the culture and identity of the Lake Pomo tribes.
In another partnership, the county of Lake also was successful in its application to the Upstate California Creative Corps Grant program, which will enable the completion of the Lake Pomo Family statue on the grounds of the Historic Courthouse Museum in Lakeport.
This grant is part of a broader media, outreach and engagement campaign designed to increase awareness for issues such as public health, water and energy conservation, climate mitigation, and emergency preparedness, relief, and recovery.
The California Arts Council views the California Creative Corps program as an opportunity for job creation and human infrastructure development, fostering artist engagement in public work and intersectional public interest goals.
The life-size bronze sculpture featuring a Lake Pomo family will be erected on the grounds of the museum.
The project represents the culmination of nearly a decade of fundraising efforts and will be a major attraction for the community, drawing visitors to the county and museums alike. The statue holds profound symbolism, representing the cultural beauty and heritage of the Lake Pomo people for generations to come.
This statue project aims to address historical trauma and foster healing within Indigenous communities that have endured centuries of marginalization and assimilation. The power of public art, such as this statue, promotes well-being by providing individuals with a sense of purpose and inviting public spaces that encourage physical activity, socialization, and a deeper understanding of the world.
Throughout the process, the Tribal Advisory Committee to the Museums of Lake County has worked closely with Kelseyville artist Rolf Kriken to ensure cultural authenticity of the individual figures in the statue and reflect the family bonds, resiliency, and intergenerational connection of the Pomo people.
The committee, consisting of elders and tribal members representing all seven Pomo tribes, has creatively guided the project and contributed significantly to its realization.
Their vision and input have been central to the creation of the Lake Pomo Family bronze statue, county officials said.
California continues to prepare communities against the devastating impacts of wildfires, with Gov. Gavin Newsom announcing new investments on Thursday that will ramp up defenses around homes, reduce overgrown vegetation, improve evacuation routes for rural communities and more.
The $113 million in new funding, made possible by the $52 billion California Climate Commitment budget, will support 96 wildfire prevention projects across the state — with more than eight in 10 grants directed toward vulnerable or underserved communities.
“These kinds of projects save lives and livelihoods, and we’re scaling it up,” said Gov. Newsom. “It was work like this that helped communities like South Lake Tahoe and Pollock Pines avert unknowable destruction. Our goal is to stop devastation before it happens — to keep Californians safe, and preserve our communities and shared history.”
Cal Fire’s Wildfire Prevention Grants Program funds programs to protect people, structures and communities. This year’s investment adds to the 144 ongoing projects funded last year and includes hazardous fuels reduction and wildfire prevention planning and education.
These projects support the goals and objectives of California’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan, as well as the Strategic Fire Plan for California.
“Investing in communities before a wildfire strikes is a critical component of California’s wildfire strategy,” said Cal Fire Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler. “These proactive investments support local projects that protect, engage, and educate communities to increase wildfire prevention and resiliency efforts throughout the state. Wildfire is a year-round reality in California, and even though a historically wet winter was the exception this year, we are always ready for when conditions change and to continue our charge of creating a more wildfire resilient California. We are proud to help further this important and proactive work.”
“This investment is critical for increasing the resiliency of our rural community against catastrophic wildfire, and we’re excited to get to work,” grant recipient Trinity County Resource Conservation District said in a written statement. “This timely funding will provide critical defensible space support for low-income, disabled, and senior community members. In addition, it gets us closer to fulfilling the goals of our fire protection plan while helping to protect the communities of Weaverville, Junction City and Lewiston — strategic areas that have all been threatened by major wildfires in the past decade. These projects help complete critical projects underway, improve evacuation routes, and add strategic fuel breaks around our homes and communities.”
Examples of projects
In Lake County, the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center will receive $1,774,314.14 for the second phase of a hazardous fuels reduction project.
The Lake County Resource Conservation District’s Tree Mortality Mitigation and Public Safety in Lake County project, which also focuses on hazardous fuels reduction, will receive $374,920.
The Trinity County Resource Conservation District will receive nearly $2 million for fuel reduction work in rural, low-income communities and grant funding will assist in providing defensible space work around 100 homes for vulnerable residents in Weaverville, Junction City and Lewiston.
In San Diego County, the Pala Band of Mission Indians is one of many tribal organizations receiving funding for wildfire prevention efforts. Their projects will include fuel reduction efforts to prevent roadside fires and provide safe evacuation routes near the community of Pala, which includes a 10-acre fuel break, planned as a result of the Mesa Fire which ignited on June 21, 2021.
The Wildfire Prevention Grants Program is funded as part of California’s Wildfire & Forest Resilience efforts with a portion of the program funded through California Climate Investments (CCI), which puts cap-and-trade dollars to work.
For more information about Cal Fire’s Wildfire Prevention Grants, please visit Cal Fire Grants.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — While California’s unemployment rate showed a small uptick in June, Lake County’s jobless rate ticked down as the county moved further into its economically critical summer agricultural season.
The California Employment Development Department’s new jobless report for June showed that Lake County’s unemployment rate for last month was 5.5%, down from 5.6% in May and 4.6% in June 2022.
California’s overall unemployment rate was 4.6%, up from 4.5% in May and 3.9% in June 2022.
The number of Californians employed in June was 18,554,300, an increase of 7,900 persons from May’s total of 18,546,400 and up 42,200 from the employment total in June.
At the same time, the number of unemployed Californians was 889,100 in June, an increase of 5,700 over the month and up 143,300 in comparison to June 2022.
Over the past year, California has gained 397,400 nonfarm jobs, which averages out to 33,117 jobs per month. California’s June nonfarm job gain was 5.6 percent of the national job gain of 209,000, the Employment Development Department reported.
On the national level, unemployment in June was 3.6%, in May it was 3.7% and also was 3.6% in June of last year.
In Lake County, total farm jobs were down by 7.4% in June, while total nonfarm jobs rose by 0.6%.
Among Lake County’s job subcategories, the top five for increases in a month-over comparison were information, 12.5%; leisure and hospitality, 6%; transportation, warehousing and utilities, 5.5%; state government, 5%; and nondurable goods, 3.7%.
Decreases from May to June in Lake County occurred in wholesale trade, 15.4%; retail trade, 1.3%; trade, transportation and utilities, 0.7%; and private education and health services, 0.6%.
Lake County’s unemployment rate ranked it No. 38 of California’s 55 counties.
Lake’s neighboring county jobless rates and ranks were: Colusa, 12.2%, No. 57; Glenn, 6.5%, No. 46; Mendocino, 4.6%, No. 23; Napa, 3.5%, No. 4; Sonoma, tied at 3.7%, No. 7; and Yolo, 4.8%, No. 27.
In related data that figures into the state’s unemployment rate, the Employment Development Department said there were 384,841 people certifying for Unemployment Insurance benefits during the June 2023 sample week. That compares to 391,004 people in May and 296,570 people in June 2022.
Concurrently, 43,455 initial claims were processed in the June 2023 sample week, which was a month-over decrease of 918 claims from May, but a year-over increase of 88,271 claims from June 2022, the report said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Deborah Carr, Boston University; Giacomo Falchetta, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), and Ian Sue Wing, Boston University
Scorching temperatures have put millions of Americans in danger this summer, with heat extremes stretching from coast to coast in the Southern U.S.
Phoenix hit 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius) or higher every day for over three weeks in July. Other major cities, from Las Vegas to Miami, experienced relentless high temperatures, which residents described as “hell on earth.”
While the evening news runs footage of miserable sunbathers on Miami Beach and joggers in Austin, Texas, dousing themselves with water, these images conceal a growing hidden crisis: the millions of older adults who are suffering behind closed doors.
Some of the country’s hottest states, including Arizona, are forecast to see dramatic growth in their older adult populations. But heat isn’t just a problem in the South: Northern populations also face rising risks from extreme heat that many people aren’t accustomed to.
Communities, families and older residents need to understand these risks and be prepared.
Older adults don’t sweat or cool down as efficiently as younger people. Heat stress can worsen underlying conditions like heart, lung and kidney disease, and extreme heat can trigger delirium.
Poor air quality makes it harder to breathe, especially among people who already have breathing difficulties. For older adults with physical health problems, temperatures as low as 80 degrees F (26.7 C) – to say nothing of 110 degrees – can pose a grave danger.
Medications also work best when stored at room temperatures of 68 to 77 degrees and may lose their effectiveness if not kept in a cool place on a very hot day.
And it’s not just physical health that suffers.
Having to stay indoors all day to keep cool and enduring the stress of heat emergencies can make older adults depressed and isolated. Those with cognitive problems or dementia may not understand their health risks or may not take proper precautions. Seniors with physical disabilities, limited mobility or lack of access to transportation can’t easily travel to a public cooling center – if there is one nearby.
Drawn to high-risk regions
Retirees are often drawn to the South’s sunny skies, low taxes and costs of living and amenities, like golf courses, beaches, health care facilities and age 55+ residential communities tailored to their needs. In Phoenix, the share of residents over age 65 is projected to rise from 10% of its 1.6 million residents today to roughly 17% by 2050.
At the same time that these populations are rising, the number of days people will need air conditioning is rising, too.
We found that populations in historically hot locations like Arizona and desert regions of California are aging at a rapid clip, placing demands on cities, counties and states to meet the pressing needs of older residents during heat waves.
These include providing cooling centers and ensuring that they are physically accessible to those with mobility challenges, and training first responders to be sensitive to the special needs of older adults who may be reluctant to leave their homes during a heat emergency.
Communities also need to find effective ways to warn “snowbirds,” vacationers or recent migrants who might hail from cooler climates and be less aware of, or adapted to, the risks of extreme heat.
Northern regions are at risk, too
Our research finds that historically cooler places like New England, the upper Midwest and the Pacific Northwest also have rising heat risks.
These regions – historically home to high shares of older adults – are projected to experience the steepest increases in heat exposure relative to temperatures historically experienced. Older adults who are accustomed to the New England chill may not fully understand the threats an extreme heat wave can pose, and they may underestimate the harm they might suffer from a day in the hot sun.
Older homes in the Northeast also tend to have less efficient cooling systems. Nighttime heat can be particularly harmful for those without air conditioning, including people who live in densely populated Northeastern and Rust Belt cities where “heat islands” trap temperatures. For older adults with health conditions, a night of restless sleep may make one more depressed and confused during waking hours.
Stay indoors. Use air conditioning. Drink plenty of water. Don’t use the oven, especially in small homes. Help an older adult with transportation to a cooling center. Place medications in the coolest spot in one’s home. Be sensitive to symptoms like dizziness and call for medical attention as needed.
However, community-scale adaptations also are needed. Public investments in early warning systems for extreme weather, ride services to transport older adults to cooling centers and hospitals, geographic information systems to help first responders identify neighborhoods with high concentrations of older adults, and installation of energy-efficient air conditioning in homes and public settings can help to fight back against sweltering days in the future.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — Mendocino College and the Lake County Theatre Co. are presenting the eighth annual Shakespeare at the Lake production on Saturday, July 29, and Sunday, July 30, in Lakeport’s Library Park and on Friday, Aug. 4, through Sunday, Aug. 6, in Clearlake’s Austin Park.
This year’s play, “Measure for Measure,” begins at 7 p.m. each day, preceded by Renaissance music from Faire Measure, a string quartet of local musicians.
The free performances are made possible through generous support from businesses, community organizations and individuals who support live theater in Lake County.
Additional presenters include the Lake County Friends of Mendocino College, Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce, and the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport.
Director John Tomlinson and producer Laura Barnes have worked with students enrolled in Mendocino College acting and stage production classes to craft an edited version of one of Shakespeare’s dark comedies, exploring themes of power (and its abuse), justice (or injustice), and mercy (or lack thereof).
Sex, religion and mistaken identity — a Shakespearean tradition — are also sprinkled in, for good measure.
Audiences will be transported to the Renaissance era with the captivating allure of traditional Shakespearean costumes and live music.
Sponsorships are being provided by the Lake County Friends, the Law Office of Judy Conard, Clear Lake Chamber, Rotary Club of Clearlake, Rotary Club of Lakeport, Green Heron Dispensary, Lakeport Main Street Association, Lower Lake Community Action Group, Community First Credit Union, Steve and Carol Schepper, Clear Lake Campground, Harry and Roberta Lyons, Wilda Shock and the Kiwanis Club of Lakeport.
Additional supporters include Education Leadership Solutions, Monica Flores, Susie LaPointe, Pat and Lori McGuire, and Gillian Parrillo and Pierre Cutler.
Tax-deductible contributions are being accepted to provide scholarships for the student actors and stipends for the technicians providing scenic design, costumes, sound and lighting, plus rehearsal and set-building rental space.
Donations payable to Mendocino College may be directed to Mendocino College Lake Center, 2565 Parallel Drive, Lakeport CA 95453.
Seating at each performance is first-come, first-served. Bring your own comfortable chairs or blankets for the grass.
Local food and beverage vendors will be available before show time and during intermission. Shakespeare swag will be offered to purchase as a souvenir.
Come out and support live theater in your community.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office has welcomed to its ranks one of the newest officers to graduate from the CHP Academy.
Officer Cameron Ramsey was among the 101 officers who graduated from the CHP Academy in West Sacramento on June 30.
At the ceremony, Ramsey and his fellow cadets officially became officers and were sworn in after 26 weeks of intense training.
Ramsey is now among the more than 6,550 sworn CHP officers across California. The CHP is the largest state police agency in the United States.
The Clear Lake Area office reported that Ramsey is from Redwood Valley and the son of a CHP officer who works in the Ukiah Area office.
While the academy is behind him, there is more education ahead.
He is set to receive extensive in-field training with experienced officers for approximately four months and later be on his own, the Clear Lake Area office reported.
“Lake County is a unique area and different than large metropolitan areas. It will challenge this officer’s skills,” the office said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control has a full kennel of adoptable dogs this week.
The Clearlake Animal Control website continues to list 34 dogs for adoption.
This week’s dogs include “Freddy,” a 4-year-old male German shepherd-Labrador retriever mix.
There also is “Mikey,” a male American pit bull terrier mix.
The shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
For more information, call the shelter at 707-762-6227, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.
This week’s adoptable dogs are featured below.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
On Thursday, Reps. Mike Thompson (CA-04) and Doug LaMalfa (CA-01) introduced a revised version of their bipartisan legislation that would shield thousands of fire victims from taxation on compensation received in the aftermath of a wildfire.
This protection would cover payments made from the Fire Victim Trust, a $13.5 billion wildfire settlement for nearly 70,000 victims of the 2018 Camp Fire, 2017 North Bay Wildfires and the 2015 Butte Fire.
“Wildfire survivors should not have to pay taxes on compensation to which they’re entitled,” said Thompson. “I have worked closely with Rep. LaMalfa, the Joint Committee on Taxation, the Ways and Means Committee and Congressional leadership to ensure that we swiftly pass legislation protecting survivors from taxation. The revised bill I introduced today with Rep. LaMalfa is a retroactive approach that protects our communities — and this tax relief remains my top priority in Congress. I am optimistic Congress will pass our bill.”
“Camp Fire survivors have waited long enough to have tax clarity. I believe that these changes will make this essential legislation easier to incorporate into a larger disaster relief or tax package. This initiative has been a top priority and it has gathered broad bipartisan support. Congress must be timely and enact this bill into law to get wildfire survivors the financial certainty they need,” said LaMalfa.
Earlier this year, Congressmen Thompson and LaMalfa introduced H.R. 176, a similar version of this legislation which was designed only to cover the Fire Victim Trust claimants.
The bill introduced Thursday has been expanded to remove requirements that limited payments to settlement trust funds, thereby expanding protection to anyone receiving disaster aid payments to reimburse wildfire-related losses.
The updated language also represents bipartisan agreements between the House and Senate committees that oversee tax policy.
Last year, Thompson and LaMalfa were nearly able to secure passage through inclusion in the Fiscal Year 2023 government funding package, before all tax-related provisions were removed by the Senate.