Image by Thanakorn Lappattaranan. A bill that would have allowed drivers to opt in to usage-based insurance was held under submission by the Senate Appropriations Committee earlier this month, leaving California as the only state not to allow car insurance rates based on driving data
Image by cmannphoto. Left in limbo by the Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom, California’s private foster agencies say they’re struggling to stay afloat until the new year, when they hope a new governor will help them navigate an ongoing insurance crisis that threatens their existence.
Blur hand of asian man reading contract making deal with life insurance agent before sign. concept for consultant health insurance, life insurance savings plan, select focus at documentOPINION — AB 1798 would limit life insurers’ access to genetic information in applicants’ medical records, reversing a 30-year practice that has seen the number of California life insurance policies grow to a record 10.2 million, delivered and maintained with strong personal privacy protections.
Jane Kim. Image by SF Bicycle Coalition. In our ongoing Q&A series with California Insurance Commissioner candidates, this week we bring you answers from California Working Families Party Executive Director Jane Kim.
Steven Bradford. Photo from California State Senate Archive. In our ongoing Q&A series with California Insurance Commissioner candidates, this week we bring you answers from former Sen. Steven Bradford.
Sen. Ben Allen. Photo by AP. Capitol Weekly recently asked the leading insurance commissioner candidates to answer a set of identical questions regarding how they would approach this incredibly important and challenging job. The candidates participating are Sen. Ben Allen, former Sen. Steve Bradford, California Working Families Party executive director Jane Kim, Insurance agent Jane Korsgaden, Los Angeles school teacher Lalo Vargas and financial analyst Patrick Wolff. Over the next few weeks we will present their questions and answers individually in alphabetical order by last name, starting with Sen. Ben Allen.
Image by Dragon Claws. OPINION – Rising insurance costs and lack of coverage is a common headline in California and across the country these days, but the acute challenges for affordable housing—and the state’s most vulnerable residents who live there—have received far less attention.
California Insurance Crisis, Panel 2: The Los Angeles Fires. Journalist Dan Morain, Kelsey Szamet, Eaton Fire Survivors Network, Nancy Wallace, UC Berkeley, Steve Hawks, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore.
Photo by Ellie Appleby, Capitol Weekly.CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: A Special Episode of the Capitol Weekly Podcast, recorded live at the California Insurance Crisis, which was held in Sacramento on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. This is Panel 2: The Los Angeles Fires, featuring 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.
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. Photo by Ellie Appleby, Capitol Weekly. 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.
Image by CHOLTICHA KRANJUMNONGOPINION – California’s insurance market is at a crossroads. With massive increases in disaster costs and a regulatory environment that does not readily allow carriers to increase rates to match the risk involved in insuring massive portions of our state, it is clear that something needs to change to fix a broken insurance market.