As wildfires rage across California, consuming homes and displacing families, the state’s insurance crisis has reached a boiling point. Yet, rather than decisive action, Californians are met with silence and dysfunction from those elected to protect them. Insurance companies are leaving the state, canceling policies, and leaving homeowners scrambling for coverage. 

Where are the lawmakers and regulators responsible for addressing this crisis?

Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has attempted to mitigate the damage by implementing a one-year moratorium preventing companies from canceling policies in fire-ravaged areas. This temporary relief does nothing to address the root of the problem: the growing number of insurers unwilling to do business in California. The state’s high-risk environment, strict regulations, and unpredictable litigation costs have made it an unprofitable market. Homeowners are left with limited options, often forced onto the overburdened and costly FAIR Plan, the state’s last-resort insurance provider.

What is there are too many claims for the FAIR Plan to payout, what then? 

The dysfunction extends beyond the Commissioner’s Office. The California Senate Insurance Committee, which should lead on legislative solutions, is instead mired in controversy. Senator Susan Rubio, who was recently reappointed as chair, is under federal investigation for alleged corruption. This crisis requires bold leadership, yet Californians witness political infighting and bureaucratic delays.

Without immediate and meaningful reforms, homeowners and the insurance market will continue to suffer. Californians deserve better than inaction and political gamesmanship. They deserve leaders who will step up before it’s too late.