House of Representatives

In South Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and Mammoth Lakes, our public lands are woven into the fabric of life. These lands are symbols of our strength and keepers of serenity in these turbulent times. As we've seen locally, our parks and public lands are a beloved resource and one that is essential for our collective recovery. If we want our parks and public lands to be there for us for the long haul we need to invest in them now.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The El Dorado County Elections department released another count of ballots from Tuesday's primary election on Friday afternoon.

Since election night, 21,446 more ballots have been counted in the county and those results were released at 4:40 p.m. Elections officials say there are just about 1,000 left to count. These late numbers come from ballots received in the mail and left in the area drop boxes near election day. It is unknown the location where the remaining 1,000 ballots are from.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There were no seats available and people were standing along the sides of the Lake Tahoe Community College board room Sunday, all to see Congressional Candidate Jessica Morse.

The California primary is on Tuesday, June 5, and a lot of decisions are facing voters in South Lake Tahoe both at the county and district level, as well as at the state level.

California changed their primary system ten years ago for the top offices and now it is the two candidates with the most votes on Tuesday that will head to the November elections, no matter which party they belong to. Prior to this system it would be the top democrat and top republican that would face off.

Recently, the House of Representatives narrowly passed the American Health Care Act (H.R. 1628). The bill now resides in the U.S. Senate for determination and possible modification. Though we do not know if the senators will pass the American Health Care Act, Barton Health is committed to providing consistently exceptional care for our Lake Tahoe community members and visitors.

Vail Resorts has called on the United States Congress to approve the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act of 2015. This Act provides $415 million in funding and reauthorizes important Lake Tahoe restoration activities that began in 1997 and refocuses federal, state and local efforts toward reducing wildfire threats, improving water quality and clarity, and combating invasive species. All of these are important to the local economy at one of the most visited lakes in the world.

At the Lake Tahoe Summit last month, we saw the power of what we can accomplish when we work together. Progress over the last two decades was showcased when President Obama made his first-ever visit to Tahoe and said conservation and restoration efforts like ours are more important than ever as the nation works to adapt to a changing climate and create a more resilient environment.

The California State Primary is Tuesday, June 7, and there are a few local items on the ballot.

The following are summaries of what voters on the lake side of El Dorado County will be voting on. If people are unsure of their polling place, visit this site, input your address and birthdate: http://elections.edcgov.us/lookup.fwx

Measure A - The preamble of the County Charter will be changed if passed. The proposed wording is below, with :

Decisions made in Congress over the next few months may well determine the extent to which Lake Tahoe remains blue and clear, with healthy forests, resilient watersheds, and its ecology protected from the threat of new aquatic invasive species.

For two decades, the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) has provided guidance for the shared investments made by our federal, state and local governments, homeowners, and businesses to restore and protect Tahoe’s unique environmental qualities and enhance its diverse public recreation opportunities.

Today Kristen Spees announced the details of her congressional campaign’s Off-Road Ride Across Nevada.

Spees' ride is entirely off-road to promote public access to BLM land. The ride starting September 5th will navigate across Northern Nevada beginning in Dayton, to Sand Mountain, Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park and up to Austin, Nevada. Riders on Off-Highway Vehicles are expected to cover more than 350 miles over 3 days to promote public access to BLM land throughout Nevada.

To promote access and raise awareness on this issue Kristen stated:

A measure to advance environmental restoration and forest management activities in the Lake Tahoe Basin yesterday passed out of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The legislation would reauthorize the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, originally passed in 2000, which has helped advance one of the most comprehensive watershed restoration programs in the nation-the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program, or EIP.