Bill Aims to Help Communities Move out of FAIR Plan
It’s one of the dreaded experiences for any property owner in the past few years – the non‑renewal letter from the insurance company‚ followed by the news from a broker that there is no insurance available at all besides the FAIR Plan.
The FAIR Plan is California’s insurer of last resort‚ and its coverage has both high premiums and bare‑bones coverage. Having it as the only insurance option is one of the many ways that life in rural California has become more expensive and difficult.
This is also‚ however‚ a signal about where we need to do the most to invest in wildfire safety‚ and that is why I am proud of the progress this week of a bill I have co‑authored with Sen. Marie Alvarado‑Gil.
Senate Bill 1162 is simple. It directs Cal Fire to focus its work on reducing fuels in areas in the wildland‑urban interface – those neighborhoods where town blends into forest that are often at highest fire risk – and where the number of FAIR Plan policies has increased most sharply since 2019.
While FAIR Plan coverage has increased everywhere in California‚ in some communities the number of policies is up 10‑fold over that time. In many of these places‚ neighbors have joined together to reduce fuels‚ establish FireWise Communities and otherwise protect themselves. They need to be made a priority for the state’s spending on thinning brush and overgrown forests.
This week SB 1162 passed the Senate Natural Resources Committee unanimously. I’m grateful for their support and the work of Sen. Alvarado‑Gil‚ as well as fellow coauthor Assemblyman James Gallagher‚ in this effort to better protect the communities at most severe risk.
In the long run‚ we want to get these properties out of the FAIR Plan and back into the standard insurance market. SB 1162 will move us toward that goal.
Preparing for Stroke Awareness Month
Thursday morning I introduced the language for Senate Concurrent Resolution 156‚ which will recognize the month of May as Stroke Awareness Month.
My own health journey has made this issue very real and personal. I encourage everyone to know the risk factors for stroke and be mindful of your health‚ and to know the signs of a stroke so you can respond quickly if it happens to you or a loved one. It really can save a life.
I am grateful for the work of medical providers who tirelessly promote education about prevention and response‚ and I will be sharing much more in May.
Fellowships Support North State Artists
Are you a painter‚ musician‚ dancer‚ or writer living in the 1st Senate District?
A rare opportunity has opened for financial support for the people who make life more beautiful.
The Upstate Individual Artists Fellowship‚ funded by the California Arts Council‚ has grant funding totalling $240‚000 for artists living in rural Northern California‚ and the application window is open now through May 6.
Fellowships‚ at various levels‚ are available for emerging‚ established and legacy artists‚ to both nurture young talents and support the work of the more experienced.
The grants are run through the Nevada County Arts & Culture‚ which is holding online sessions through the next month to help applicants.
For more information‚ visit the Upstate Individual Artists Fellowship web site.
Stay Connected – Stay Informed
J.A. Martin is the publisher of Siskiyou News, an independent print and digital publication serving Siskiyou County, and beyond in California.
