State lawmakers today [on Monday] introduced legislation to make insurance more affordable and allow victims of climate disasters to sue oil companies for damages.
Thousands of Californians – even before the LA fires – have experienced rising premiums and even been dropped from their policies due to fire risk in recent years.
But the devastation in LA has brought greater urgency to the issue. A new bill would allow those harmed by climate disasters like fires and floods to sue oil companies for damages.
It also allows insurance companies to sue the oil industry so that they don’t have to pass costs onto rate payers.
Democratic Senator Scott Wiener of San Francisco introduced the bill.
WIENER: We’re all paying for these disasters, but there is one stakeholder that is not paying. The fossil fuel industry, which makes the product that is fueling climate change.
The bill doesn’t exclude victims from suing other groups suspected of contributing to a disaster.
The oil industry is expected to fight hard against the bill.
Republican Senator Roger Niello of Sacramento says the state should focus instead on fire prevention and increasing resources for fire departments.
NIELLO: Do those issues have anything to do with the conflagration that we’ve seen in Southern California? I think so.
Niello also says those harmed should be able to sue the city and county of Los Angeles and the State of California.
Officials are continuing to investigate the cause of the fires in LA.
