SACRAMENTO, CA — The Wildfire Victims First coalition launched an initial advertising campaign calling on California lawmakers to fix the state's broken FAIR Plan and overhaul a wildfire recovery system that is failing homeowners, renters, small businesses, and ratepayers across the state.
Last week, the FAIR Plan announced that policyholders could see a rate hike of up to 200 percent beginning October 15, with the average ratepayer seeing a 29 percent increase. It means the majority of policyholders will pay thousands more a year for coverage that insurance experts and consumer groups have called inadequate and expensive.
The campaign directs constituents to contact their Assemblymembers and local elected officials to demand that they act this session to make insurance more affordable and available, stop costs from spiraling, and provide comprehensive coverage for Californians living with wildfire risk.
“This rate increase means policyholders will have to pay thousands more for weak wildfire coverage. The FAIR Plan was designed as a temporary backstop. Yet, today it has become the only option for far too many homeowners, and it doesn't offer the coverage families need to actually recover. Lawmakers have the facts. They've heard from the experts. And they have a public demanding change. It's time to act.”
— Former State Senator Bill DoddThe ad buy comes on the heels of legislative hearings last month, during which four committees examined the California Earthquake Authority's Natural Catastrophe Resiliency Study and heard testimony from wildfire experts, consumer advocates, and recovery groups. Throughout those hearings, lawmakers and witnesses delivered a consistent message: California cannot wait another year to act.
Community-owned utilities are also raising the alarm about the state's wildfire recovery system. SMUD — the state's most prominent community-owned, not-for-profit electric utility — recently sent a letter to state leadership laying out its priorities for wildfire reform, including changes to how wildfire liability is handled and more state resources for community hardening.
The Wildfire Victims First coalition, which launched in April following the release of the CEA study, has grown to more than 100 social justice, community, labor, small business, chamber of commerce, and local government organizations from every region of California. The coalition is calling on the Legislature to enact a comprehensive Wildfire Victims First framework that:
- Protects people from wildfires
- Makes insurance available and affordable
- Pays victims first, fast, and fairly
The initial buy will run across the districts of key Assemblymembers and will expand in the weeks ahead as the Legislature moves toward critical deadlines this session.
To learn more about the Wildfire Victims First coalition, visit WildfireVictimsFirst.com.
Tell Lawmakers to Act
Send a message to your California legislator and demand they put wildfire victims first this session.
Take Action