2018 Election Guide & Insurance Commissioner Town Hall
Banning’s Landing Community Center – Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Thank you to our event partners: BizFed Los Angeles, Port of Los Angeles, Southern California News Group
Event Recap:
On Tuesday, October 16th, the BizFed Institute hosted its second Who’s Next to Be California’s Leaders Forum featuring the CALmatters Election Guide and Town Hall conversation with Insurance Commissioner Candidate Ricardo Lara, moderated by CALmatters Senior Editor, Dan Morain.
After providing an overview of the CALmatters Election Guide, Moderator Dan Morain kicked off the Town Hall by exploring a range of questions with current Senator Ricardo Lara from why he is running for Insurance Commissioner to his position on cutting edge insurance issues including autonomous vehicles, wildfires, and data security.
In his comments, Senator Lara emphasized that “businesses are customers too. We need healthy insurance companies to have a thriving economy where businesses can take risks and grow jobs. We need to give business owners more predictability so they can grow their investments here, not leave for more stable regulatory environments”.
During this exchange on policy issues, Morain pressed Lara on the reason he focuses on single-payer legislation since it is beyond the scope of the Insurance Commissioner’s role. Senator Lara pushed back making a passionate case that the influence of the office goes beyond any specific responsibilities, saying this opportunity “gives me another avenue to advocate for California families”.
CALmatters Senior Editor Morain, along with members of the audience, challenged Senator Lara to explain why he lacks a single newspaper endorsement. Lara argued the “newspapers are being short-sighted about the role of the Insurance Commissioner and what could be done – the industry is poised for innovation using new technology”.
During the Town Hall, Senator Lara acknowledged that he is competing against a self-funded opponent in Steve Poizner who has significant resources, but stated that he is committed “to keep California at the forefront, protect our consumers, and innovate”.
“I am proud to work with the insurance community to get data about our recent wildfires and increased risk. This data is vital to incentivize homeowners, insurance companies, and local governments in the right way” – Ricardo Lara
“We need to build more housing but we need to look at where we are building and the risks associated with building in sensitive areas. People who choose to live there should pay more for their insurance policies” – Ricardo Lara
Learn More – 2018 Election Guide
Confused about the MANY propositions on your ballot this November? Check out 60 second run downs on each one by real journalists: Click Here
Learn More – Insurance Commissioner Town Hall
To read local news coverage of the Town Hall, please see the following article in the Long Beach Press Telegram: Click Here
To watch the full video for the CALmatters 2018 Election Guide & Insurance Commissioner Town Hall, please visit the BizFed Institute’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bizfedinstitute/