KCBS FM San Francisco, CA
August 10, 2020
Consumer Watchdog's Jamie Court explains why Governor Newsom's advisory committee on economic recovery needs oversight.
Click here to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment.
KNX 1070 AM LA
August 10, 2020
Click here to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment, where Consumer Watchdog's Jamie Court discusses how Governor Newsom's advisory economic task force meets in private with no public oversight or accountability.
By Phil Willon, LOS ANGELES TIMES
August 10, 2020
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-08-10/newsom-coronavirus-…
SACRAMENTO — Faced with a pandemic that has put millions of Californians out of work and eviscerated businesses large and small, Gov. Gavin Newsom promised that “health and science” would guide state officials in repairing the economy and steering it toward recovery.
By Kathleen Pender, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
August 8, 2020
https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/networth/article/Homeowners-insura…
Nearing the end of their legislative session and the beginning of wildfire season, state lawmakers are pushing through an industry-backed homeowners' insurance bill despite fierce opposition from consumer groups and California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara.
By Kerry Klein, KVPR - CENTRAL VALLEY PUBLIC RADIO
August 5, 2020
https://www.kvpr.org/post/deaths-mothers-infants-during-childbirth-prom…
Click here to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment.
By Mathieu Pollet, EURONEWS
August 4, 2020
https://www.euronews.com/2020/08/04/covid-19-pandemic-spells-uncertain-…
People planning to travel abroad to a destination on their country's "green list" still face the risk of not being covered by their insurance.
With Californians in COVID lockdown, industry lobbyists are working to overturn voter-approved consumer protections
Op-Ed Commentary by Harvey Rosenfield
August 2, 2020
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/08/02/opinion-legislators-scheming-wit…
State lawmakers are preparing a gift for you: a massive increase in the premiums you pay to insure your home and property.
By John Wildermuth, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
August 2, 2020
https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/What-s-in-a-name-Everythin…
Campaigns in four of the 12 initiative measures in California’s November election have sued state Attorney General Xavier Becerra, charging that his office wasn’t fair and neutral when it prepared the titles and summaries that will appear on the ballot.
By Lyle Adriano, INSURANCE BUSINESS AMERICA
July 31, 2020
https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/us/news/breaking-news/consumer-adv…
Consumer Watchdog has managed to block a plan to hike the rates of drivers under California’s low-income auto insurance program.
You may need to update your policies in light of COVID-19
By Daniel Bortz, KIPLINGER'S MAGAZINE
July 30, 2020
https://www.kiplinger.com/personal-finance/insurance/601097/time-for-an…
Initiative would raise cap on selected cases, extend deadline for medical negligence cases
By Evan Symon, CALIFORNIA GLOBE
July 28, 2020
https://californiaglobe.com/section-2/medical-negligence-compensation-c…
By John Wildermuth, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
July 24, 2020
https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/California-measure-raising…
With 12 ballot measures already scheduled for a vote in California in November, the first initiative has qualified for the 2022 election, with two others well on the way.
By Ryan Byrne, BALLOTPEDIA NEWS
July 24, 2020
https://news.ballotpedia.org/2020/07/24/first-2022-state-ballot-measure…
The first state ballot measure for 2022 qualified for the ballot in California on July 21, 2020.
By Timothy Darragh, BESTWIRE
July 24, 2020
http://news.ambest.com/newscontent.aspx?altsrc=108&refnum=227001
A ballot initiative to lift the 45-year-old cap on quality-of-life and survivor benefits will go before California voters in 2022.
By Staff Writers, INSURANCE JOURNAL
July 22, 2020
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2020/07/22/576522.htm
Californians will have to wait until the pandemic ends to vote on an initiative to change the state’s medical malpractice cap.
Proponents of a measure to change California’s medical malpractice cap announced today they have reportedly collected 900,000 signatures, enough to qualify the initiative for the November 2022 ballot.
By John Cox, THE BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN
July 22, 2020
https://www.bakersfield.com/news/berry-corp-hires-former-top-state-oil-…
The head of one of Kern's biggest oil producers says he knew it might raise eyebrows to hire a man who used to be California's top oil regulator.
By Adam Beam, ASSOCIATED PRESS
July 22, 2020
https://apnews.com/01ba9661168ba6f07ada1d6390cb7d6c
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California patients could get more money from medical malpractice lawsuits under a ballot initiative that is now eligible for the 2022 November election.
By Victoria Collver, POLITICO PRO
July 22, 2020
2022 WATCH: An initiative to raise the 45-year-old cap on medical malpractice compensation for injured patients has qualified for the ballot — but voters will have to wait until the November 2022 ballot to vote on it, POLITICO’s Victoria Colliver reports.
By Michael Finney, KGO AM SF, CA
July 18, 2020
Click here to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment.
Host Michael Finney mediates a debate between Consumer Watchdog's Harvey Rosenfield and Rex Frazier of the Personal Insurance Federation of California about the details of bill AB 2167 to change the homeowners' insurance market in the state of California.
By Colby Bermel, POLITICO PRO
July 17, 2020
SACRAMENTO — The bankruptcy declaration of California's largest oil and natural gas producer will pose the first major test for the state's fossil fuel regulator since Gov. Gavin Newsom shook up the agency after indications it was too soft on industry.
By Bob Egelko, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
July 15, 2020
https://www.sfchronicle.com/nation/article/In-suit-involving-Kaiser-jud…
Insurance companies cannot discriminate against disabled people by broadly denying coverage for the types of treatment they need, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.
By Mark Olaide, PALM SPRINGS DESERT SUN
July 15, 2020
https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2020/07/15/new-ethics-…
The California Department of Conservation, which has for years weathered accusations of a cozy relationship with the oil industry, has quietly introduced a new ethics policy that has drawn praise from advocates of good governance.
By Lyle Adriano, INSURANCE BUSINESS AMERICA
July 8, 2020
https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/us/news/breaking-news/consumer-adv…
Consumer Watchdog has warned that members of the California State Senate have taken $2,353,000 in campaign contributions from both insurance companies and insurance industry trade associations in the last two election cycles.
By Amber Frias, KGET NBC-TV, Bakersfield, CA
June 25, 2020
https://www.kget.com/news/local-news/bakersfield-ob-gyn-placed-on-proba…
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) – The medical license of a Bakersfield ob-gyn has been placed on probation for five years after allegations that gross negligence and repeated negligent acts led to a new mother’s death.
By Frank Mottek, KNX 1070 AM Los Angeles, CA
June 25, 2020
Click here to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast: https://knx1070.radio.com/media/audio-channel/mottek-on-money-special-e…
You could be paying higher premiums than a driver with a similar car and driving history. Here's why.
By Kayda Norman, NERDWALLET
June 25, 2020
https://www.thestreet.com/personal-finance/why-loyal-customers-may-be-p…
By Colin Staub, PLASTICS RECYCLING UPDATE
June 24, 2020
https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/2020/06/24/california-reinstate…
A single-use plastic bag ban and reusable bag recycled-content mandate is back in force in California. The regulations had been temporarily lifted because of COVID-19.
By Emily C. Dooley, BLOOMBERG LAW
June 23, 2020
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/california-extends…
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has extended a waiver by 60 days that allows grocery stores and other retailers to stop redeeming recyclable bottles and cans.
By Elizabeth Christian, BAKERSFIELD NOW
June 20, 2020
https://bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/a-call-to-action-to-hold-medical-…
Bakersfield, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX)- A tragic case that happened a year ago claimed the life of 23-year-old Demi Dominguez. Dominguez gave birth to a baby boy and later bled to death. The baby was declared brain dead and he didn't survive either.
By Michael Hiltzik, LOS ANGELES TIMES
June 19, 2020
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-06-19/insurers-coronavirus-…
It’s fair to say that most Americans see the coronavirus pandemic as an enormous and fearsome burden.
Not the insurance industry. In California, the industry is using the crisis to bring about a sneaky change in insurance rules that could lead to massive increases in homeowner premiums.
By Don Jergler, INSURANCE JOURNAL
June 17, 2020
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2020/06/17/572626.htm
Backers of a controversial bill in California, which they say is designed to increase insurance coverage in high-risk wildfire areas by amending Proposition 103, believe it has the right timing and plenty of momentum to go all the way.
By Frank Mottek, KNX 1070 AM Los Angeles, CA
June 17, 2020
Click here to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast: https://knx1070.radio.com/media/audio-channel/mottek-on-money-special-edition-wednesday-june-17th-2020
When Covid-19 hit, travel insurance didn’t help many travelers recover the cost of their canceled trips. What, then, were they paying for?
By Elaine Glusac, THE NEW YORK TIMES
June 17, 2020
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/17/travel/travel-insurance-pandemic.html
Dear Gavin, Your budget sucks, too.
By Nicole Levin, KNOCK-LA
June 13, 2020
https://knock-la.com/gavin-newsom-environmental-budget-cuts-344ab8791856
“Because one thing I know about cuts, there’s a human being behind every single number. Behind every category is a dream that is either deferred, in some case a dream that is denied. I am sober about it, I’m not naive about cuts.” — Gavin Newsom, May 14, 2020
By MACKENZIE HAWKINS, CAPITOL ALERT - SACRAMENTO BEE
June 10, 2020
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article24…
After several years of catastrophic burns — and the insurance industry pulling back from some fire-prone communities — many California homeowners will face the upcoming fire season without proper coverage.
By Timothy Darragh, BESTWIRE
June 9, 2020
http://news.ambest.com/newscontent.aspx?refnum=225814&altsrc=23
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is squaring off with property/casualty insurers over a bill that would ease regulation on rate-setting in return for insurers' reentry into wildfire-prone markets.
By Staff Writers, INSURANCE JOURNAL
June 9, 2020
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2020/06/09/571546.htm
A consumer group is warning that homeowners could pay billions more for their home insurance under what it calls an “insurance industry legislative attack on California’s effective rate regulation.”
By Pat Thurston, KGO 810 AM, SF, CA
June 8, 2020
Click here to listen to Harvey Rosenfield on The Pat Thurston Show discuss the insurance industry's sneak attack on Prop 103’s homeowners insurance protections.
By Kevin Smith, RIVERSIDE PRESS ENTERPRISE
June 5, 2020
https://www.pe.com/2020/06/05/watchdog-group-opposes-bill-that-would-hi…
A bill that would allow California insurance companies to boost homeowners’ insurance rates in regions prone to wildfires will price people out of the market, a watchdog group says.
Study looked at 3 million birth certificates and oil, gas info - Low birth weights found in rural areas near active wells
By Emily C. Dooley, BLOOMBERG
June 3, 2020
Pregnant women living in rural areas close to active oil and gas wells are at higher risk o f having babies that weigh less than those born in urban areas, a study of millions of birth records in California shows.
By Stacey Shepard, BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN
June 3, 2020
https://www.bakersfield.com/news/state-board-puts-local-doctor-on-proba…
A local OB-GYN will begin five years of probation later this month following a state investigation into the death of one of his patients in September 2016.
By Staff Writers, KALLANISH ENERGY
May 26, 2020
https://www.kallanishenergy.com/2020/05/26/group-seeks-to-toughen-calif…
A consumer group wants California Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign an executive order to block oil companies from getting state approval for new wells without full bonding for their cleanup, Kallanish Energy reports.
That request was made last week by Consumer Watchdog.
