Gavin Newsom’s administration is pushing state leaders to pass a bill in the final month of the legislative session that would revamp how the state pays for the enormous cost of wildfires.
What happened: The governor’s office staff laid out the administration’s priorities in a meeting this week with state legislative leaders, according to two people familiar with the conversation who were granted anonymity to discuss private deliberations.
Why it matters: The meeting illustrates that the Democratic governor is throwing his weight behind changes to the wildfire risk and insurance systems. The issue is enormously consequential for California’s utilities, which are at risk of racking up massive financial liabilities if their equipment causes a wildfire, as well as wildfire victims and the state’s insurance companies.
Details: The governor’s office is prioritizing ratepayer protection, wildfire mitigation, modifying the tort system and making changes to the state’s insurer of last resort, the FAIR plan, according to the people familiar with the meeting conversation.
