Roughly a month after deadly wildfires erupted in Los Angeles County, killing at least 29 people, lawmakers in the state Senate have introduced a proposal to bolster Cal Fire staffing, and Gov. Gavin Newsom is meeting with President Donald Trump over disaster aid.
Joined by several other senators and firefighters in Sacramento, Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire unveiled a bipartisan measure Tuesday to keep all 356 of Cal Fire engines staffed year-round, reports CalMatters’ Sameea Kamal. The Santa Rosa Democrat described it as a “modern day staffing plan,” which would transition 3,000 state firefighters who are typically dismissed during the winter to full-time status.
The proposal is estimated to cost at least $175 million, and would also keep Cal Fire’s 38 wildfire vegetation management crews working throughout the year. These crews are responsible for clearing dead trees and creating barriers in cities and towns to slow the spread of wildfires.
- Tim Edwards, president of Cal Fire Local 2881, at Tuesday’s event: “For three months out of the year we downstaff one-third of our engines because of an inadequate way of staffing Cal Fire in today’s world. … There is no fire season in California, fires are year round.”
Meanwhile, Gov. Newsom is in Washington D.C. through Thursday to push for federal assistance regarding the Southern California fires, writes CalMatters’ Alexei Koseff.
Newsom is expected to meet with Trump, his administration officials and members of Congress.
The governor’s visit follows Trump’s trip to California last month to survey wildfire damage in L.A. The president has repeatedly threatened to tie federal aid with various conditions, including overhauling California’s policies on water distribution and voter ID.
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CalMatters events: On Feb. 25 CalMatters’ Adam Echelman will hold a panel to discuss what the state is doing to help employment outcomes for Californians ages 16 to 24. Register here to attend in person at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles or virtually.
Other Stories You Should Know
Temporary changes to LA rent rules
From CalMatters housing reporter Ben Christopher:
Gov. Newsom also issued an executive order Tuesday to lift some state rules regarding rent hikes post-fire in an effort to make use of all available housing.
Some larger properties had been kept off the market by owners who feared falling afoul of price-gouging laws. After criticism from landlords, up-market realtors and housing policy experts, Newsom issued a lengthy executive order. Among other things, it includes a carve-out for houses with four or more bedrooms in zip codes with high rents.
State emergency declarations regularly prevent landlords from hiking the rent by more than 10%.
While Newsom eased up on one aspect of the cap with this executive order, he tightened down on another. Some landlords have been getting around the state-set rent caps by entering lease agreements that exceeded one year. Now the rules apply to all rental agreements.
The rules are set to expire on March 8.
State Farm asks for further rate increases
From CalMatters economy reporter Levi Sumagaysay:
State Farm, the largest insurer for California homeowners, asked the state this week to approve “emergency” rate increases for insurance policy holders, saying the recent L.A. County fires have imperiled its finances.
The company wants an average 22% increase for homeowners and 15% for renters on top of rate hikes it requested last year. Those requests — 30% for homeowners, 52% for renters and 36% for condominium owners — have not been granted and are being challenged before the state’s Insurance Department, which is investigating the company’s financial situation.
In a letter dated Feb. 3, State Farm CEO Dan Krause and other executives wrote to Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara that the company “needs your urgent assistance in the form of emergency interim approval of additional rate to help avert a dire situation for our customers and the insurance market in the state of California.”
State Farm has received more than 8,700 claims and paid more than $1 billion to its customers in the state as of Feb. 1, the executives said.
- The letter: “We know we will ultimately pay out significantly more, as these fires will collectively be the costliest in the history of the company.”
The executives want the rates to be effective May 1.
And lastly: Rebuilding in fire-prone areas
Amid the state’s housing crisis, nearly half of California homes in recent decades were built in areas adjacent to forests and shrublands. CalMatters’ Ben Christopher and video strategy director Robert Meeks have a video segment on why California keeps rebuilding homes in fire-prone areas as part of our partnership with PBS SoCal. Watch it here.
SoCalMatters airs at 5:58 p.m. weekdays on PBS SoCal.
California Voices
CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: A proposed trailer bill has a shadowy backstory and little to do with this year’s budget.
Under a federal administration that is hostile to fighting climate change, California is poised to take dramatic action, write Mary Creasman and Mike Young, the CEO and executive director, respectively, of California Environmental Voters.
Other things worth your time:
Cal Fire is changing its fire-hazard maps // Los Angeles Times
Watch how the harrowing evacuation of the Pacific Palisades unfolded // Los Angeles Times
After Martinez refinery fire, gas prices rise in CA // The Mercury News
CA Democrats in OC’s swing districts break from party on immigration bills // The Orange County Register
Businesses close, children skip school for ‘a day without immigrants’ protest // Los Angeles Times
Shaken by Trump, ‘invisible’ Chinese migrants in CA speak up // The San Francisco Standard
Cal State unveils artificial intelligence tools for students // EdSource
Lawsuit alleges University of California illegally considers race in admissions // LAist
The young engineers, with ties to CA, aiding Elon Musk’s government takeover // WIRED
China is Long Beach’s top trading partner — what will Trump’s tariffs mean? // Long Beach Business Journal