This Thursday. Survivors to Lara: Please Resign

Nov 4 2025

Dear Friend,

We never wanted to take this step.

For nearly ten months, survivors have written letters, shared data, and met with officials — all hoping that Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara would finally enforce the laws that protect California families.

He hasn’t. And this weekend, The New York Times confirmed why.

Commissioner Lara struck a secret deal with insurers, incentivizing them to dump tens of thousands of policyholders in exchange for future rate hikes — and they did, just months before the L.A. fires.

Families were left scrambling for coverage or pushed into the state’s high-cost, low-benefit FAIR Plan. The deal was sold as a way to keep people out of the FAIR Plan. Instead, enrollment nearly doubled.

For decades, Californians paid our premiums faithfully. But in the months before the L.A. fires, Lara enabled those companies to pocket every dollar of those decades of premiums and walk away — canceling policies by the tens of thousands.

Now, 70% of insured survivors report delays and denials blocking their recovery.

Families now are trapped in two insurance crises — both enabled by Lara.

1. We can’t buy or renew coverage.

2. We can’t access the benefits we’ve already paid for in full.

And now, according to the Department of Angels, 61% of L.A. fire survivors will run out of housing coverage in the coming months. 

Recovery is running out of time.

Meanwhile, Lara has been globe-trotting with insurance executives, skipping key L.A. fire briefings, and facing investigation for misuse of funds and undisclosed luxury travel.

We take no joy in calling for a resignation.

But California cannot afford another year of Ricardo Lara.
 

Los Angeles recovery cannot afford another year of Ricardo Lara.

It’s time for new leadership — leadership that rebuilds an insurance system we can trust.

Join us this Thursday.

Press Conference
Thursday, November 6 | 9:30 AM | Good Neighbor Bar, Altadena
If you’ve been denied or delayed, your story matters. Join survivors and allies in sharing what’s really happening — and help show the media why change can’t wait. When we speak out together, we push state leaders to act. 
RSVP to attend: lararesign.org

EFSN Community Meeting
Thursday, November 6 | 7:00–8:00 PM | Zoom 
Later that evening, we’ll gather as a community to discuss where we are on insurance progress and map our next steps toward a faster, stronger recovery. 
To register, click here.

See the New York Times investigation, the luxury travel, the survivor data, the civic coalition including every major elected official representing the Eaton and Palisades fire zones – Perez, Allen, Harabedian, Irwin, Barger, Bass, Knapp – all calling on Lara to do his job and hold insurers accountable.

Watch Commissioner Lara explain himself, in his own words.

And add your name to the growing call for a new chapter.

It's all here: lararesign.org

When insurance fails, recovery fails.
But together, we can restore accountability — and rebuild trust in the system meant to protect us all.

See you Thursday.

Joy