California lawmakers in the State Senate held the first hearing of the year on the state’s insurance crisis, but the meeting was brief and held without the state’s insurance commissioner, Ricardo Lara. The short meeting on one of the state’s biggest issues comes as communities recover from the devastating and expensive Los Angeles wildfires and as questions linger around the future of insurance in California. For the past two years, as some major insurers stopped providing policies in the state, the California Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom have allowed the insurance commissioner to handle the state’s insurance problems mostly on his own. Two officials with the Department of Insurance testified Wednesday on Lara’s behalf. “Commissioner Lara was not able to be here, otherwise he would. He had previously scheduled engagements,” Michael Martinez, the senior deputy commissioner of the Department of Insurance, told lawmakers. A spokesman for Lara told KCRA 3 that he plans to testify in person at an Assembly Insurance Committee hearing on March 19. The Department of Insurance officials did not share anything new, but said the recent wildfires have not jeopardized the department’s new regulations that recently went into effect to try to stabilize California’s insurance market. Wednesday’s hearing was led by State Senator Susan Rubio, who was first removed but then reinstated as the chairwoman of the committee following her reported involvement in an FBI investigation in Southern California. Rubio limited the testimony time for the department officials, and also for lawmakers and their questions. She did this not just with the Department of Insurance, but also with the subsequent panels that included consumer advocates, wildfire victims and the insurance industry, and scholarly experts. Rubio never specified why exactly she rushed through commentary but could be heard consistently throughout the hearing telling witnesses to “wrap up” their testimony. State Senator Aisha Wahab, D-Hayward, tried multiple times to go deeper on issues including renters’ protections but was also faced with repeated calls by Rubio to “wrap up.” “For many people who have lost their insurance, who are victims of the fires, their life is at a standstill, and they have no other option. They are effectively homeless,” Wahab said of vulnerable renters. “The payouts aren’t enough for what we are seeing, and I don’t see a true plan in front of us.” Rubio gave the insurance industry experts 30 seconds to respond. The panel sat silently as Rubio decided to move onto the next panel. At the end of the hearing, Rubio acknowledged it was rushed. “Everyone needs to be at the table, we need the insurers to stay in California, we need the perspective from victims. We need our scholars, we need everyone giving us information,” Rubio said. “But again, it was a little rushed. Our colleagues will share what other subject matters they want to cover and make sure we go a little deeper so my apologies if it felt rushed.”See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
California lawmakers in the State Senate held the first hearing of the year on the state’s insurance crisis, but the meeting was brief and held without the state’s insurance commissioner, Ricardo Lara.
The short meeting on one of the state’s biggest issues comes as communities recover from the devastating and expensive Los Angeles wildfires and as questions linger around the future of insurance in California.
For the past two years, as some major insurers stopped providing policies in the state, the California Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom have allowed the insurance commissioner to handle the state’s insurance problems mostly on his own.
Two officials with the Department of Insurance testified Wednesday on Lara’s behalf.
“Commissioner Lara was not able to be here, otherwise he would. He had previously scheduled engagements,” Michael Martinez, the senior deputy commissioner of the Department of Insurance, told lawmakers.
A spokesman for Lara told KCRA 3 that he plans to testify in person at an Assembly Insurance Committee hearing on March 19.
The Department of Insurance officials did not share anything new, but said the recent wildfires have not jeopardized the department’s new regulations that recently went into effect to try to stabilize California’s insurance market.
Wednesday’s hearing was led by State Senator Susan Rubio, who was first removed but then reinstated as the chairwoman of the committee following her reported involvement in an FBI investigation in Southern California.
Rubio limited the testimony time for the department officials, and also for lawmakers and their questions. She did this not just with the Department of Insurance, but also with the subsequent panels that included consumer advocates, wildfire victims and the insurance industry, and scholarly experts.
Rubio never specified why exactly she rushed through commentary but could be heard consistently throughout the hearing telling witnesses to “wrap up” their testimony.
State Senator Aisha Wahab, D-Hayward, tried multiple times to go deeper on issues including renters’ protections but was also faced with repeated calls by Rubio to “wrap up.”
“For many people who have lost their insurance, who are victims of the fires, their life is at a standstill, and they have no other option. They are effectively homeless,” Wahab said of vulnerable renters. “The payouts aren’t enough for what we are seeing, and I don’t see a true plan in front of us.”
Rubio gave the insurance industry experts 30 seconds to respond. The panel sat silently as Rubio decided to move onto the next panel.
At the end of the hearing, Rubio acknowledged it was rushed.
“Everyone needs to be at the table, we need the insurers to stay in California, we need the perspective from victims. We need our scholars, we need everyone giving us information,” Rubio said. “But again, it was a little rushed. Our colleagues will share what other subject matters they want to cover and make sure we go a little deeper so my apologies if it felt rushed.”
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
