Final event in Middle Colorado Watershed Council’s Fire and Water Speaker Series, ‘Firewise Futures,’ comes to Rifle’s Ute Theater
Final event in Middle Colorado Watershed Council’s Fire and Water Speaker Series, ‘Firewise Futures,’ comes to Rifle’s Ute Theater

As summer approaches, preparing for peak fire season is a priority for many Coloradans who witnessed the effects of the state’s fifth largest wildfire, the Lee Fire, near Meeker last year. The final installment of the Middle Colorado Watershed Council’s Fire and Water Speaker Series,…
Hit by flooding in Michigan? A guide to insurance, cars and homes
Hit by flooding in Michigan? A guide to insurance, cars and homes

The heartbreaking flooding we’re seeing in northern Michigan means many unsettling days ahead when it comes to dealing with loss and possible insurance claims. Many homeowners could be shocked to discover that they do not have adequate insurance — and many continue to be at…
California Assemblymember John Harabedian Announces Extension of the Insurance Cancellation Moratorium for Wildfire Survivors Passes Assembly Insurance Committee
California Assemblymember John Harabedian Announces Extension of the Insurance Cancellation Moratorium for Wildfire Survivors Passes Assembly Insurance Committee

On Tuesday, Assemblymember John Harabedian (D-Pasadena) announced that AB 2038, which would provide wildfire survivors greater protections from insurance companies’ nonrenewals by extending the period insurance companies must renew existing policies, has passed the Assembly Committee on Insurance. In January 2025, the Eaton and Palisades…
California agency to decide how consumer groups can fight rate increases
California agency to decide how consumer groups can fight rate increases

The state’s administrative law office will decide whether to accept Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s changes to a law passed as a referendum in 1988, which allows consumer advocates to be compensated for their work. Read more.
All Eyes on Insurance ~ All Hands on Deck
All Eyes on Insurance ~ All Hands on Deck

California Advocacy UPdate – April 2026 It’s been a busy year for our Advocacy and Action team in California so far. We helped shape the findings of a Commissioner’s Smoke Damage and Insurance Task Force as an appointed member, contributed to an important victory in…
Wildfire Survivors, Consumer and Environmental Groups Slam State Report for Letting Utilities Off the Hook for Deadly Fires, Says Consumer Watchdog
Wildfire Survivors, Consumer and Environmental Groups Slam State Report for Letting Utilities Off the Hook for Deadly Fires, Says Consumer Watchdog

A coalition of twenty-three organizations — including wildfire survivors, consumer advocates, and environmental groups — today blasted the California Earthquake Authority’s (CEA) wildfire report for failing to hold utilities accountable for their role in causing some of the most destructive fires in state history. In…
Even Jane Kim thinks her run for Calif. insurance commissioner is a head-scratcher
Even Jane Kim thinks her run for Calif. insurance commissioner is a head-scratcher

Some people never really leave San Francisco politics. Jane Kim is one of them. After losing a high-profile state Senate race in 2016 and a mayoral bid in 2018, the former supervisor and progressive activist left office in 2019. She went on to work for…
Consumer Watchdog Claims New Regulations from Commissioner Lara Will Silence Consumer Voice in Insurance Rates
Consumer Watchdog Claims New Regulations from Commissioner Lara Will Silence Consumer Voice in Insurance Rates

Ignoring the protests of 32 consumer protection, labor, senior, immigrant, low-income, and public advocacy organizations, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has issued regulations that will make it nearly impossible for members of the public to scrutinize and challenge increases in home, auto and business insurance premiums.…
Your House Survived the Fire — Now Mold Could Be the Second Wave of Damage Your Insurance Can Cover
Your House Survived the Fire — Now Mold Could Be the Second Wave of Damage Your Insurance Can Cover

You picture a house fire and you think of smoke, flames, charred walls. What most homeowners don’t picture — until it happens to them — is the water. Thousands of gallons of it, soaked into every wall, floor, and ceiling while firefighters did their job.…
Bill to Extend Insurance Moratorium for Eaton Fire Survivors Clears Assembly Committee
Bill to Extend Insurance Moratorium for Eaton Fire Survivors Clears Assembly Committee

A bill authored by Assemblymember John Harabedian (D-Pasadena) that would give wildfire survivors in Altadena and other fire-affected areas more time before insurers can drop their coverage passed the Assembly Committee on Insurance this week. AB 2038, jointly authored by Harabedian and Assemblymember Rick Chavez…
Florida insurance commissioner says now is ‘great time’ to ‘shop around’ for better rates
Florida insurance commissioner says now is ‘great time’ to ‘shop around’ for better rates

Florida’s insurance regulators hosted a two-day industry summit in Tallahassee with a much more optimistic view of the future than in recent years. “I’m confident we are on the right track in Florida,” said Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky in his opening comments, kicking off the…
SoCal homeowners face soaring insurance premiums, policies reviewed by A.I.
SoCal homeowners face soaring insurance premiums, policies reviewed by A.I.

For millions of Southern California homeowners, insurance is becoming harder to afford as rates soar. Some are even being told their policies are no longer being reviewed by a person, but instead by an algorithm. “Well, it’s not fair. It’s not fair,” said Paul, a…
California Faces $36 Billion Price Tag to Build Durable Wildfire Catastrophe Fund, State Study Finds
California Faces $36 Billion Price Tag to Build Durable Wildfire Catastrophe Fund, State Study Finds

California would need approximately $36 billion to build a wildfire fund durable enough to last 20 years with a 75% probability of solvency, which is more than double the commitment made in 2025, according to a report submitted to the governor and Legislature by the…
Who Controls Your Home Insurance? A High-Stakes California Race Could Decide
Who Controls Your Home Insurance? A High-Stakes California Race Could Decide

Few statewide elections stand to matter more this year than the race for insurance commissioner — the primary official tasked with stemming a wildfire-stoked home insurance crisis that has sent rates soaring across California. The insurance commissioner leads the state agency that approves rate hikes…
California insurance commissioner defends bill in face of strong opposition
California insurance commissioner defends bill in face of strong opposition

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Wednesday defended a bill that would make broad changes to insurance coverage after a home is destroyed in a wildfire or other disaster, which is facing stiff opposition from industry lobbyists. “Do you really think I would once again…
Texas Is Entering Peak Hail Season — And Most Homeowners Don’t Understand the Deductible That Could Cost Them Thousands
Texas Is Entering Peak Hail Season — And Most Homeowners Don’t Understand the Deductible That Could Cost Them Thousands

Spring has arrived in Texas, which means the skies are about to get interesting. April and May are historically the most active months for severe hailstorms across the state, and North Texas sits in one of the most active hail corridors in the country. According…
Insurance Companies Just Had Their Best Year in a Decade. So Why Is Your Bill Still Going Up?
Insurance Companies Just Had Their Best Year in a Decade. So Why Is Your Bill Still Going Up?

You opened your homeowners renewal notice. The number went up. Again. Maybe it was 8%. Maybe it was 14%. Either way, your first thought was probably the same as everyone else’s: Who exactly is benefiting from all of this? As it turns out, the answer…
State Farm is in Trump’s crosshairs over LA fires
State Farm is in Trump’s crosshairs over LA fires

LOS ANGELES—State Farm has burnished its reputation as the country’s largest home and auto insurer with its “good neighbor” slogan. President Trump this week offered a different take on the company: “absolutely horrible” and “not there to help!” Trump’s social-media post critical of State Farm…