SACRAMENTO, CA — Today, California Environmental Voters (EnviroVoters), released the following statement in response to the Senate Judiciary Committee rejecting SB 222, the Affordable Insurance and Climate Recovery Act. Sponsored by EnviroVoters, the Center for Climate Integrity and Extreme Weather Survivors, the bill would have preserved affordable insurance choices by enabling Californians and insurers affected by climate disasters to sue oil companies that lied about the risks of their products.
“Big Oil won, Californians lost. We are heartbroken that corporate polluter political contributions and propaganda prevailed over the truth. Californians are struggling. Our communities are being decimated by more frequent and destructive climate disasters. Family budgets are stretched from skyrocketing insurance costs. Insurers are fleeing the state. Yet, Senators Tom Umberg, Angelique Ashby, Aisha Wahab, Maria Elena Durazo, Anna Caballero, and Jesse Arreguín fell for Big Oil’s bait and switch to make a shortsighted and dangerous decision not to hold these companies accountable for causing our insurance affordability crisis. Make no mistake, the insurance crisis is the tipping point for an economic crisis,” said Mary Creasman, Chief Executive Officer of California Environmental Voters. It’s just a matter of time before climate disasters drive the remaining insurers out of our state. With affordable insurance options gone, businesses will cease to operate, families won’t be able to get mortgages, and construction to develop our state will stop. This is the fate lawmakers chose today by refusing to hold Big Oil accountable. There is no way out of this mess until Big Oil comes to the table to pay its fair share. This issue isn’t going away and neither will our fight for a more affordable California.“
“California could have set a nationwide example for how to make Big Oil pay for its role in the insurance crisis and help protect residents from an uninsurable future. Instead, some lawmakers decided to shield Big Oil from accountability and deprive Californians of tools to recover devastating losses,” said Iyla Shornstein, Political Director of the Center for Climate Integrity. “When the next climate disaster hits, Californians will once again be stuck with all the costs, while the Big Oil companies fueling the crisis will pay nothing.”
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CONTACT:
Erika Guzman Cornejo
(310) 755-1615
erika@envirovoters.org
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ABOUT CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL VOTERS
California Environmental Voters (EnviroVoters) believes the climate crisis is here and this moment requires transformative change. California has the policy solutions to stop climate change but lacks the political will to do it at the rate and scale that’s necessary. EnviroVoters exists to build the political power to solve the climate crisis, advance justice, and create a roadmap for global action. We organize voters, elect and train candidates, and hold lawmakers accountable for bold policy change. We won’t stop until we have resilient, healthy, thriving communities, and a democracy and economy that is just and sustainable for all. Join us at www.envirovoters.org and on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X. See more press releases.
