News Articles

Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA, 1st District), the lead Democratic sponsor of H.R. 3506, the HELP Hospice Act, received the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization's (NHPCO) Public Policy Leadership Award on Sun., July 22, at Hospice By The Bay's Sonoma County office. As the population of Americans 65 and older grows and an increasing number of terminally ill patients request the comfort of hospice care, legislation supporting hospice funding and access helps ensure that comprehensive end-of-life care will be available for generations to come.

We were pleased to see the U.S. House, once again, approve an amendment to a bill that would expedite innovative treatments for military veterans and active-duty soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. Now it is time for the Senate to do the same.

The action would allow those suffering from serious brain maladies to obtain new treatment techniques from private sources when such treatments are not offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Thursday U.S. Congressmen Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ) introduced H.R. 6154, The Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act, bipartisan legislation that streamlines permitting for renewable energy projects on public lands.

Rep. Mike Thompson on Thursday introduced a bill aimed at making it easier to generate renewable energy on public land and would give local and state governments a cut of the royalties.

Thompson, D-St. Helena, and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., said the bill would speed up the permitting process for wind and solar energy projects, treating them similarly to oil and gas projects.

Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) on Wednesday voted against H.R. 6079, the Patients' Rights Repeal Act.

This legislation was the House Majority's 31st bill in the last 18 months to repeal all or parts of the Affordable Care Act.

The repeal of health care reform would end patient protections and raise health care costs for millions of Americans, Thompson's office reported.

The bill passed the House by a vote of 244-185. It will now go to the Senate.

Value versus price is an ongoing question in the appraisal business and seems to be an equally popular debate in land conservation. When appraising equipment, I often refer to Warren Buffet's famous quote, "Price is what you pay; value is what you get." The same holds true for open lands.

Last time I took a hike, I paid nothing, and yet the value of an outdoor experience is immeasurable. My certainty of the value of outdoor experience is why I support the designation of Berryessa Snow Mountain region as a National Conservation Area.

The Crescent City Harbor District is holding a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday to mark the beginning of the inner boat basin reconstruction project.

The groundbreaking will mark the start of work to rebuild the basin following the tsunamis of 2011 and 2006. The 2011 tsunami wreaked havoc on the harbor, prompting state and federal authorities to declare an emergency. In 2006, a smaller tsunami damaged the harbor and a state emergency was declared.

A much-anticipated Thursday ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the federal Affordable Care Act, a law that's anticipated to have far-reaching impacts for the nation.

The decision means that the rollout of the landmark health care legislation will go forward in 2014, as originally planned.

The court affirmed the right of Congress to impose the “individual mandate” - the requirement for individuals to purchase insurance or else face penalties.