News Releases

Consumer Watchdog Warns Governor, Legislative Leaders that Insurance Commissioner Lara’s Deregulation Deal with Insurers Has No Consumer Benefits 

November 2, 2023  ·  Carmen Balber

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...

Records Show Insurance Commissioner’s Deal with Industry to Expand Wildfire Coverage is a Sham 

October 26, 2023  ·  Carmen Balber

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...

Consumer Watchdog Challenges Recidivist Mercury Insurance for Policyholder Price-Gouging, Discrimination and Deception 

October 11, 2023  ·  Ben Powell

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...

Climate Risk Modelers’ Financial Conflicts Should Disqualify Their Use for Insurance Rates in California

September 28, 2023  ·  Carmen Balber

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...

Lara’s Deal with Insurance Industry Does Nothing for Consumers and Does Not Address Climate Change

September 26, 2023  ·  Carmen Balber

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

Consumer Watchdog Says Lara’s Undisclosed Deal Will Allow Insurance Companies to Use Algorithms And Reinsurance Costs to Hike Home Insurance Rates, Potentially Turning California Into Florida

September 21, 2023  ·  Harvey Rosenfield

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’...

Consumer Watchdog Urges Newsom Not To Call State of Emergency On Insurance And Put Himself and Other 3% of Homeowners Over the 97% Who Would Face Rate Hikes

September 21, 2023  ·  Harvey Rosenfield

Sacramento, CA — The leaders of Consumer Watchdog today wrote Governor Newsom to dissuade him from declaring a state of emergency on insurance that would...

Insurance Industry Fails to Win Backroom Bailout in CA Legislature

September 12, 2023  ·  Carmen Balber

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...

Garamendi, Nader, and SD Union Tribune Add Voices Against 11th Hour Insurance Bailout Legislation, Consumer Watchdog Urges Vigilance Until Monday Deadline

September 8, 2023  ·  Harvey Rosenfield

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...

Consumer and Environmental Groups Locked Out of Secret Wildfire Insurance Deal Oppose 11th Hour Insurance Industry Bailout

September 7, 2023  ·  Carmen Balber

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...

Consumer Watchdog Urges Attorney General Bonta to Investigate Industry Collusion on Homeowner Insurance Shortages

September 5, 2023  ·  Harvey Rosenfield

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...

Insurance Lobbyist Caught On Tape Bragging And Joking About End of Legislative Session “Surprise” To Jam Consumers For Bailout

August 31, 2023  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA — A 17 year veteran insurance industry lobbyist, Michael Gunning, now chief strategy officer for Lighthouse Public Affairs, was taped on a Southwest...