35 Years Ago Today Voters Approved Insurance Reform Proposition 103 Washington, DC – Thirty-two members of California’s Democratic Congressional Delegation wrote a letter to Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara this week expressing concern that a plan he announced in September would...

Industry and Insurance Commissioner Respond with Attack on Consumer Watchdog  Los Angeles, CA – Consumer Watchdog wrote Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate pro tem Toni Atkins and Speaker Robert Rivas to warn that the deregulation deal cut by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara...

Los Angeles, CA – Documents obtained under the Public Records Act and Prop 103 reveal details of the secret proposal to bail out the insurance industry that Commissioner Lara and insurers unsuccessfully tried to jam through the Legislature during...

Los Angeles, CA -- Consumer Watchdog today filed a Petition to Intervene in an enforcement action brought by the California Department of Insurance (CDI) against Mercury Insurance Group for overcharging, misleading and discriminating against California homeowners and motorists. Read...

Los Angeles, CA – The top two publicly-traded companies selling black box catastrophe models to insurance companies have financial conflicts of interest that should bar their use in California to set rates, Consumer Watchdog will testify at a California...

California Insurance Commissioner Lara’s behind-closed-doors deal will allow the insurance industry to raise home insurance premiums for 8.7 million Californians.

Sacramento, CA --- Today’s announcement by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara that he would allow insurance companies to use secret algorithms to set rates for homeowners’ coverage for wildfire and to add reinsurance costs to premiums will lead to...

Sacramento, CA -- The leaders of Consumer Watchdog today wrote Governor Newsom to dissuade him from declaring a state of emergency on insurance that would give Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara the power to raise homeowner rates by waiving...

Consumer Watchdog Calls for Open Debate and Disclosure of Secret Proposals As Insurer Focus Shifts to Insurance Commissioner Lara Sacramento, CA -- The insurance industry’s attempt to pass a secret, last-minute bailout deal failed when a legislative deadline passed Monday...

Sacramento, CA -- As public opposition mounts to the still-secret, back-room insurance bailout deal in Sacramento, Consumer Watchdog urged vigilance until the Monday, September 11, deadline for new legislation to be put in print passes.  “Until lawmakers and Insurance Commissioner...

Sacramento, CA --  Fourteen consumer, environmental, economic justice organizations and consumer advocate Ralph Nader said that public interest groups have been intentionally excluded from backroom negotiations with the insurance industry over an insurer bailout and deregulation plan, and called...

Consumer Watchdog Urges Attorney General Bonta to Investigate Industry Collusion on Homeowner Insurance Shortages  "Insurers collected more than $150 billion in premiums from California homeowners over the last 25 years and enjoyed profits at four times the average rate...

Sacramento, CA -- A 17 year veteran insurance industry lobbyist, Michael Gunning, now chief strategy officer for Lighthouse Public Affairs, was taped on a Southwest flight bragging and joking about "trying to jam a bill in the last...

Sacramento, CA -- Insurance companies are seeking a multi-billion dollar bailout of the insurance industry for its exposure to wildfire losses, pushing for a last-minute deal at the end of the legislative session.  The proposed legislation would relieve insurance companies of responsibility for...

Secret Black Box Climate Models are Prohibited by Proposition 103 Los Angeles, CA – At a Department of Insurance hearing today, the non-profit organization Consumer Watchdog will propose that California build a public model to predict the risk of wildfires...