Before Voting for a Third Utility Bailout, Lawmakers Should Demand Newsom and Utilities Prove There Is a Financial Emergency
SACRAMENTO, CA — California’s sitting lawmakers have received more than $5.36 million in direct campaign contributions from PG&E, Southern California Edison and Sempra over their careers as state lawmakers while overwhelmingly voting for two major utility wildfire bailouts, according to a new Utility Bailout Report Card released today by Consumer Watchdog.
Consumer Watchdog analyzed career campaign contributions from the three utility companies and their affiliates to all 119 currently sitting members of the California Assembly and Senate and compared those contributions with lawmakers’ votes on AB 1054 in 2019 and SB 254 in 2025.
Of the 33 current lawmakers who were serving in the Legislature when AB 1054 came up for a vote in 2019, 28 — 85% — voted for the legislation creating California’s Wildfire Fund at $20.3 billion. Six years later, 98 of the Legislature’s 119 current members — 82% — voted for SB 254, which authorized another $18 billion for wildfire liabilities. Both times, half of the funds were paid by ratepayers.
Among lawmakers who were there for both votes, 27 of 33 voted yes on both AB 1054 and SB 254.
Now, Governor Gavin Newsom and the utilities are seeking another bailout, despite the more than $38 billion in fund capacity provided by AB 1054 and SB 254. Statistical modeling estimates approximately $10 billion to $15 billion in total claims against Edison from the Eaton Fire — well below the existing Wildfire Fund’s approximately $20.3 billion in payment capacity, even before the additional $18 billion authorized last year is considered.
Consumer Watchdog said lawmakers who have already voted twice to financially protect the utilities should demand that Newsom and the utilities answer a basic question before voting a third time: Where is the financial emergency?
“California lawmakers have already voted twice to put $38 billion behind the utilities, while the utilities have poured millions of dollars into lawmakers’ campaign accounts,” said Jamie Court, President of Consumer Watchdog. “Before lawmakers take another dollar from California families, the Governor and utilities need to show the math and prove there is actually an emergency.”
The Utility Bailout Report Card
The top fifteen lawmakers receiving the largest career contributions from PG&E, Edison and Sempra include:
| Lawmaker | Utility Contributions | AB 1054 (2019) | SB 254 (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asm. Blanca Rubio | $148,700 | Aye | Aye |
| Asm. Heath Flora | $144,000 | Aye | Aye |
| Asm. Phillip Chen | $130,721 | Not in Legislature | Aye |
| Asm. Mike Gipson | $122,200 | Aye | Aye |
| Asm. Tom Lackey | $109,300 | No | Absent |
| Asm. Robert Rivas | $108,700 | Aye | Aye |
| Asm. Cecilia Aguiar-Curry | $100,600 | Aye | Aye |
| Asm. Lisa Calderon | $97,900 | Not in Legislature | Aye |
| Sen. Tony Strickland | $96,950 | Not in Legislature | Aye |
| Asm. Cottie Petrie-Norris | $95,900 | Aye | Aye |
| Sen. Tim Grayson | $95,100 | Aye | Aye |
| Asm. Sharon Quirk-Silva | $93,400 | Aye | Aye |
| Asm. James Ramos | $89,800 | Aye | Aye |
| Asm. Esmeralda Soria | $85,700 | Not in Legislature | Aye |
| Sen. Anna Caballero | $85,102 | Aye | Aye |
Career contribution totals include direct campaign contributions from PG&E, Southern California Edison and Sempra and their identified affiliates to lawmakers’ state candidate committees. They do not include utility contributions to lawmaker-controlled ballot measure committees. Full report card here.
Assemblymember Blanca Rubio tops the report card with $148,700 in utility contributions and yes votes on both AB 1054 and SB 254. Assemblymember Heath Flora follows with $144,000, also voting yes on both bills. Assemblymembers Mike Gipson, Robert Rivas and Cecilia Aguiar-Curry each received more than $100,000 and voted for both measures.
The voting record cuts overwhelmingly across party and chamber lines. Only four of the 33 sitting lawmakers who participated in the 2019 AB 1054 vote voted no, while one did not vote. In 2025, just two of the current 119 lawmakers voted against SB 254, while 19 were absent.
Consumer Watchdog said the Legislature’s history of overwhelmingly approving financial protections for the utilities — combined with millions of dollars in utility campaign contributions — makes transparency and independent scrutiny particularly important before lawmakers are asked to vote again.
Simply saying the word “bankruptcy” does not establish one, Consumer Watchdog said. Before lawmakers even consider committing billions more from survivors, ratepayers, policyholders or taxpayers, Governor Newsom and the utilities must release the proposed legislation and financial modeling, show at what level of losses a utility would actually face bankruptcy after insurance, the Wildfire Fund and its own resources, and put utility CEOs and CFOs under oath to defend those assumptions.
“No Wall Street company would commit billions without seeing the financial modeling. California should not commit billions of its families’ money with less diligence,” said Court. “No responsible corporate board would approve such a deal. California’s Legislature should not either. If there is an emergency, prove it.”
Methodology:
Consumer Watchdog reviewed direct campaign contributions from PG&E, Southern California Edison and Sempra and their identified affiliates to the state candidate committees of all current members of the California Assembly and Senate. Contribution totals represent lawmakers’ career contributions while running for and serving in state legislative office. Consumer Watchdog then cross-referenced current lawmakers with recorded legislative votes on AB 1054 in 2019 and SB 254 in 2025. Lawmakers not serving in the Legislature at the time of AB 1054 are identified separately and excluded from calculations of the 2019 voting percentage.
