By Andrew Sheeler, SACRAMENTO BEE
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article295607014.html
California Congressman John Garamendi has called on State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to either do his job or leave.
Garamendi, who served eight years as the state’s elected insurance commissioner, told ABC 7 News — in a video shared by Lara nemesis Consumer Watchdog — that he has been “very concerned” about Lara’s conduct since taking office in 2019, particularly when it comes to standing up to the insurance industry and the sky high premiums insurers are charging.
The Democratic congressman, whose district includes the area between Sacramento and the Bay Area, told ABC 7 News that “Over the last three years, I observed that this commissioner is not willing to take the hard task, and the necessary task, to stand up to the insurance industry. Now if the commissioner is not willing to do that, and there’s plenty of signs that he is not, then he’s not doing his job and he should leave.”
Lara’s office did not respond to The Bee’s request for comment by deadline. In the ABC 7 News video, Lara said he had no response to Garamendi’s remarks.
The embattled insurance commissioner has drawn praise from the insurance industry, but criticism from groups like Consumer Watchdog, for his plan to address the flight of insurers from the Golden State.
