Posts Tagged: fires
News
On Wednesday, May 14, Capitol Weekly hosted “California’s Insurance Crisis,” its first in-person gathering of the year and second conference of 2025. Held at the University of California Student and Policy Center, the event featured three panels and a keynote address from the California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. Discussions ranged from the overall state of the insurance industry to the impact of the Los Angeles wildfires and the path forward.
News
After suffering a disappointing veto last year, supporters of an effort to transition 3000 seasonal firefighters into an all-year-position are back, hoping that this year will be different.
News
As people struggled to cope with the immense loss from the Los Angeles fires earlier, artists stepped into offer help, from teaching free classes to victims of the fire, drawing pictures of destroyed houses or just offering much-needed entertainment to give people a break from the devastation.
Opinion
OPINION – Since its inception, the CCC has been the hidden gem in California’s natural resource work, providing an astounding 81 million hours of tree planting, fish habitat improvement, back country trail construction and maintenance, rural and urban park improvements and energy conservation – on top of critical emergency response on nearly every California natural disaster.
News
The southern California Pechanga Band of Indians, perhaps best known for its gaming resort in Temecula, has for 30 years invested in its own fire department, building a reputation for coming to the aid of major fires and other incidents throughout not only California, but also across the country.
Opinion
OPINION – California lawmakers have an opportunity to help small businesses suffering in the wake of the devastating fire in Los Angeles to rebuild stronger and more prepared for whatever the future might hold, with straightforward investments and protections.
Opinion
OPINION – California’s refusal to fairly compensate prison labor is an affront to our most basic principles of human dignity – one that now has direct consequences on hundreds of incarcerated firefighters.
Opinion
OPINION – As a nearly 30-year career firefighter, responding to countless man-made and natural disasters, I know better than most Californians how crucial stable funding is in our ability to remain fully staffed and prepared at all times. Californians count on our readiness to minimize injury, property damage and loss of life in a crisis. If a dangerous ballot initiative prevails in November, California’s public safety response will be in peril.
Opinion
OPINION – After a big year of action in 2022, our state had some monumental wins in 2023 but also undercut this progress with actions and policies that move us in the opposite direction on environmental protection and climate leadership. In 2023, California’ took two steps forward and one step back.
Experts Expound
The California insurance market is in flux. We asked our Experts to rate, on a scale of one to 10, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s handling of this situation so far.
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. Photo by Ellie Appleby, Capitol Weekly. 
