Inside Sacramento: The Bills the Insurance Industry Is Trying to Kill

March 24, 2026

Dear friends,

Last Monday in Sacramento, I was honored to be recognized as Woman of the Year by Senator Sasha Renée Pérez.

Truly, this recognition belongs to all of you. To the 10,000+ survivors and allies who have come together through EFSN to help each other navigate recovery.

After the ceremony, I stayed in Sacramento for two more days.

Carmen Balber and I spent Tuesday and Wednesday walking the Capitol, meeting a new legislative office every 30 minutes. We definitely got our steps – and stair steps – in.

By the end of it, we'd met with nearly 20 legislative offices in two days, sharing what's happening, and not happening, in our recovery, and why insurance reform is so crucial.

We learned that once our insurance reform bills reach the floors of the Senate and Assembly, they have a real chance of passing.

But we also learned something else.

Our bill SB 1076 (Pérez), which guarantees insurance coverage for homeowners who make their homes fire-safe, is the #1 bill the insurance industry is targeting to quietly kill this year.

And our other three bills are also being heavily targeted.

I suppose we could take that as a compliment.

These four bills are real reforms that would immediately help thousands of Los Angeles fire survivors and every Californian who depends on insurance to undergird our housing market.

Which is exactly why they are facing such fierce opposition.

Before our bills can reach the Senate or Assembly floors, they must first pass through the Senate Insurance Committee.

And that's where we are now.

Take Action Now: 3 Steps to Move These Bills Out of Committee

Committees are an essential part of the legislative process. The members serving on them are thoughtful public servants reviewing an enormous volume of legislation.

At the same time, these committees are where the insurance industry concentrates its lobbying and campaign spending.

If these bills make it out of committee, they have a strong path forward.
If they do not, they stop here.

Here's what you can do:

Add your name
Join the 400+ survivors and allies who have already signed: fixinsurance.org
Ask your organization to sign on
Organizations can endorse the same reforms at the same link: fixinsurance.org
Help us reach constituents in these Senate districts
These are the members of the Senate Insurance Committee:
Steve Padilla – San Diego County
Laura Richardson – Inglewood through Carson
Susan Rubio – El Monte to Ontario
Josh Becker – Peninsula from Millbrae to Cupertino
Caroline Menjivar – San Fernando Valley and Burbank
Brian Jones – Eastern San Diego County
Roger Niello – Placer and Sacramento Counties
You can check who represents you here:
https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/

Have a friend or family member in one of these districts? Please ask them to do two things:

Add their name atfixinsurance.org
Call their senator's district office and ask them to vote yes on these four bills:

SB 1076 (Pérez): Guaranteed Insurance Coverage for Fire-Safe Homes Act
SB 1301 (Allen): Nonrenewal Guardrails to Preserve Coverage Act
SB 877 (Pérez): Fair Claims Practices and Transparency Act
SB 878 (Pérez): Insurance Payment Accountability Act

Palisades Renewal Celebration!

Huge kudos to the dozens of Palisades organizations who came together to create the Palisades Renewal Celebration last Sunday.

I'm still feeling the glow of connecting with so many people I had only met on Zoom. It was wonderful seeing so many community leaders and neighbors come together to build something special.

A day of joy, connection, and hope amidst all the struggle.

Rally Your Crew: Rally for Recovery

One of the best parts of pickleball is that it's meant to be played together.

That's why we're inviting everyone across Los Angeles to build a team and rally your people for Rally for Recovery.

Invite:

Friends
Family
Coworkers
Neighbors
Community groups

Teams can play together, cheer each other on, and even fundraise for survivors.

It's a great way to:
Have fun
Connect
Support our community as we rebuild together after the fires

Rally for Recovery is our first annual fundraiser supporting the long-term work of EFSN. Every team that joins helps keep the momentum going.

So grab your crew and let's rally! Register here.

A Striking Moment at the AIA Panel

Being with those community leaders reminded me of a panel last Thursday at the American Institute of Architects, moderated by Politico's Liam Dillon.

Liam shared something stunning.

Many of you know he was part of the LA Times team that analyzed five major California fires between 2017 and 2020. Tens of thousands of homes burned. Eight years later, only 38% had been rebuilt.

For months Liam has been analyzing the permits pulled after the Eaton and Palisades fires.

Last week he shared a preview of his findings. The Los Angeles recovery is moving even slower than previous fires. Even slower than the Camp Fire in Paradise.

And he reminded us of something else from that earlier research.

By Year Three, half of all the homes that will ever be rebuilt are already rebuilt.

Which means Year Two is critical.

Right now the lack of coordinated leadership and governance is slowing recovery. Liam challenged the panelists to talk about that.

Maryam Zar ended the conversation perfectly: There is no cavalry coming to save us. But something remarkable has happened instead.

Survivors stepped forward to lead.

Perfectly put, Maryam!

For me personally, being among so many of you has honestly been the silver lining of this incredibly difficult year.

Spa for the Soul — RSVP

Recovery is a long slog, not just financially but emotionally.

In the latest Department of Angels survey, 83% of Los Angeles fire survivors report their mental health has worsened since the fires.

So together with the Trauma Resource Institute, we created something just for survivors.

Spa for the Soul

A 90-minute online gathering where you choose what feels most helpful.

Music therapy
Art therapy
Chair yoga
Mental health support
All-faith or no-faith reflection spaces

It's simply a chance to breathe, connect, and be cared for.

Sessions are 7–8:30pm PT.

March 31
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/F8PGBzWJRvOO5IxfSK-vdQ

April 29
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/O_5l9cFURiqr2f4qyPVP2w

May 21
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/-85whAiHQMaWGnuoLZtv7w

Assemblymember Harabedian Calls for Accountability

Assemblymember John Harabedian, who represents the fire-devastated 41st Assembly District, spoke out this week after it was reported that Edison's CEO received a pay increase following the fire.

“My constituents are fighting every day just to stay off the street as they try to rebuild their lives from the damage Edison's equipment likely caused,” he said.

A state report on the California Wildfire Fund is due April 1.

And the SB 254 study now underway will help determine how the financial burden from wildfire disasters is shared between utility shareholders and survivors.