Will CA change nonpayment evictions?

Last year renter advocates notched a win after California passed a law extending the length of time tenants can respond to an eviction notice from five days to 10. This session, another bill to help renters facing eviction is being considered by the Legislature, writes CalMatters’ Felicia Mello.

Under state law, landlords can evict tenants for nonpayment of rent even if the renter is willing and able to pay their overdue rent. But a proposal by Sen. Aisha Wahab would change that, bringing California in line with 21 other states where renters are protected from eviction if they pay all of the rent they owe.

Tenant advocates say the current law undermines the effectiveness of rental assistance programs, which play a crucial role for local governments and nonprofits to keep people housed.

• Wahab, a Fremont Democrat: “If you are struggling and able to recoup the funds and pay what you owe, that eviction proceeding should have stopped immediately.”

But landlord groups say tenants experiencing financial strain can already delay evictions. Rent payments from assistance programs can also be slow: It can take on average about three months for someone to apply for rental assistance payment and have it reach the landlord, said a supervising litigation attorney for San Francisco’s Eviction Defense Collaborative.

• Daniel Bornstein, a San Francisco attorney representing landlords: “There has to be a line in the sand from a public policy standpoint or there never is an endpoint when the debt has to be paid.”

Read more here.

In 2023 lawmakers failed to reach an agreement that would have addressed, in part, the state’s insurance market crisis by keeping insurers in California. While the state’s insurance chief is rolling out a handful of rule changes to tackle the issue, can the Legislature provide a fix with a series of new proposals?

As CalMatters’ Levi Sumagaysay explains, one bill would direct the speaker of the Assembly and the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Rules to serve as non-voting members of the FAIR Plan’s governing committee. The FAIR Plan is a pool of insurers mandated by the state to provide limited fire insurance to people who couldn’t otherwise find insurance.

Though concerns over the FAIR Plan’s solvency continue to grow over the years, the bill aims to confront problems with how the provider serves its customers — which include delays in payments and slow response times — by adding legislators to the group responsible for overseeing the FAIR Plan.

Another proposal would require insurers to pay claims in full without first seeing itemized inventories from their policyholders. If passed, California would be the first in the nation to eliminate inventory requirements.

Read more here.

Former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter wants to be California’s next governor.

The Democrat from Orange County launched her campaign today, writes CalMatters’ Alexei Koseff, saying that she will hold President Donald Trump accountable and go “toe-to-toe with anyone who tries to hurt Californians.”

• Porter, in a video message: “As governor, I won’t ever back down when Trump hurts Californians — whether he’s holding up disaster relief, attacking our rights or our communities, or screwing over working families to benefit himself and his cronies.”

She also mentions protecting abortion rights and immigrant communities, but offered few policy details in the video.

As a congressmember, Porter was widely known as a straightforward, whiteboard-wielding legislator who skewered corporate executives and challenged party leadership. In March 2024 Porter lost her bid for the U.S. Senate, after then-Rep. Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey won the top-two primary election. Schiff ultimately cruised to victory in November.

Porter joins a crowded 2026 race that already includes former State Controller Betty Yee, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former state Sen. Toni Atkins and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Read more here.