California Insurance Crisis, Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Capitol Weekly and the University of California Student and Policy Center presented: California Insurance Crisis, a sold out conference on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 in Sacramento.
Wildfire disasters are now a fact of life in California; Seven of the ten most destructive fires in California history have occurred in the past decade. Climate Change, an aging electrical grid and expansion of the wildland-urban interface have made catastrophic fire events almost commonplace. The state faces a mounting crisis as insurers leave California, stop issuing new policies or otherwise limit their exposure. What can be done to stabilize California’s insurance industry?
More than a dozen experts and elected officials discussed California’s Insurance Crisis.
Click here for a program with bios/photos of all participants.
California Insurance Crisis was held from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM, Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at the UC Student and Policy Center in Sacramento
9:30 – 10:30 – Panel 1: The State of the Insurance Industry
Amy Bach of United Policyholders; Rex Frazier, Personal Insurance Federation of California; Meredith Fowlie, UC Berkeley
Moderated by Levi Sumagaysay of Calmatters
10:45 – 11:45 – Panel 2: The Los Angeles Fires
Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore; Steve Hawks, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety; Kelsey Szamet, Eaton Fire Survivors Network; Nancy Wallace, UC Berkeley
Moderated by journalist Dan Morain
Noon: Luncheon Keynote
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara
Podcast and full transcript of Commissioner Lara’s remarks and Q&A here.
1:00 – 2:00 – Panel 3: What Next?
Sen. Roger Niello; Alex Hall, UCLA; John Norwood, Norwood and Associates; Denni Ritter, American Property Casualty Insurance Association
Moderated by Rich Ehisen, Capitol Weekly
Thanks to our sponsors:
THE TRIBAL ALLIANCE OF SOVEREIGN INDIAN NATIONS, WESTERN STATES PETROLEUM ASSOCIATION, KP PUBLIC AFFAIRS, PERRY COMMUNICATIONS GROUP, CAPITOL ADVOCACY, THE WEIDEMAN GROUP, CALKIN PUBLIC AFFAIRS and CALIFORNIA PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS