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Newsom returns to a defining California fight: Who pays for wildfire damage?
Newsom’s proposal would shift more wildfire costs to insurers and could fine utility shareholders up to $10 million for safety violations.
- As his final legislative session concludes, California Governor Gavin Newsom is pushing the Legislature to approve a wildfire liability plan by August 31 that limits utility payouts and shifts costs to insurers and ratepayers.
- Recurring utility-caused wildfires prompted the proposal, including the 2018 Pacific Gas and Electric fire that destroyed more than 18,000 buildings and a 2025 Southern California Edison blaze that killed 19 people, investigators confirmed this month.
- Under the proposal, utility CEOs must forfeit bonuses if company-sparked fires cause more than $1 billion in damages, while shareholders face fines up to $10 million for violating wildfire prevention requirements.
- Personal Insurance Federation of California President Rex Frazier warned that insurance rates will increase, stating, 'Being responsible for your actions is something that parents tell children.' Every Fire Survivor Network Executive Director Joy Chen also criticized the plan.
- With a strict August 31 deadline for legislative passage, Newsom could call a special session if lawmakers fail to act, a move that could shape his political legacy as he considers a 2028 presidential run.
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He knows Gavin Newsom's California plan to limit lawsuits against electrics and could raise insurance policies by up to 20%.
·Vicente López, Argentina
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Hanford SentinelReposted by 
Lodinews.com
Lodinews.comGavin Newsom's plan to change wildfire liability faces blowback, impending deadline
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With just one week left until the end of the legislative year, California lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom are negotiating a major change to how damages are paid for utility-caused wildfires that ravage homes and regional economies.…
Associated Press News+58 Reposted by 58 other sources
Newsom returns to a defining California fight: Who pays for wildfire damage?
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is asking state lawmakers to shield utilities from financial trouble if their equipment sparks a wildfire by limiting the amount they have to pay victims and attorneys.
·New York, United States
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Total News Sources71
Leaning Left19Leaning Right8Center36Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Center
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources are Center
57% Center
L 30%
C 57%
13%
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