Commentary

Insurers sell auto insurance and other profitable products in California but choose to walk away from homeowners insurance when risk rises.

With a dead-on-arrival budget draft, deep differences over revenues, chronic deficits and pressure to offset cuts in federal aid, it’s hard to even find a starting point.

The state’s law requiring fair treatment by insurers has largely been unenforced. Fire victims are left with delays, gaslighting and denials.

Insurance rates will reflect climate change and consumers’ interests. Insurers will see faster, more efficient reviews and scrutiny of excessive rates.

The Newsom administration once overstated income by $165 billion over four years. Now Newsom has announced $42 billion in new revenues over three years.

Insurers in California pulled back coverage or left the state after years of over-regulation, price controls and poor wildfire prevention.

Property loss in Black and Brown communities hasn't been accidental. It comes from redlining, racial covenants, gentrification, discriminatory lending, insurance practices and now disaster recovery practices.

Newsom denounced Trump's cutbacks in federal child care funds and his refusal to send relief funds after the wildfires in Los Angeles County.

Mayor Karen Bass' challenge is to persuade voters she has command over the city's recovery process, despite the early struggles during the fire. 

Legislators passed a law making insurers pay more upfront for the loss of personal property, rather than force disaster victims to itemize possessions. But more can be done.