California’s technology sector has had a tough year with state and federal policymakers, to say nothing of the general public. Concerns about the size and scope of internet firms have led to a “techlash,” bringing with it uncomfortable hearings and …
The California Earthquake Authority, the state’s privately funded and publicly managed earthquake “instrumentality,” is growing like mad. A spate of recent natural disasters—in combination with savvy management, new product offerings and a concerted effort to raise the profile of earthquake …
Between Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, natural catastrophes are top of mind for many Americans. Yet, the nation’s exposure to catastrophic risk is not limited to wind and waves. Earthquakes, like hurricanes, are costly catastrophes that cast a shadow of potential …
California’s elected insurance commissioner, Dave Jones, is in the habit of picking fights he can’t win. From his perch atop the nation’s largest insurance regulatory body, he’s sought a federal investigation into a near midair collision, waged a rhetorical war …
A conflict is brewing between the National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), even though neither side wants to admit it. The two private trade associations, with memberships composed of public officials, are …
It’s no great revelation that when prices are centrally controlled, they tend not to reflect reality. In some cases, this means that consumers pay less than the true value of a good or product. In other cases, they pay too …
California is an ethnically and culturally diverse state, and it is becoming more so with each day. That diversity brings with it economic strength, but also a need for public policy that consciously accounts for the different ways in which …
Louisiana already has some of the highest property insurance rates in the nation. But they could creep higher still—an estimated $1.11 billion higher over the next decade—should congressional tax-reform efforts limit insurance companies’ ability to use reinsurance, which is how …
Proposition 103—California’s restrictive regulatory regime for insurance—may need a few tweaks as fewer and fewer cars on the road have human drivers. During a March 8 informational hearing, members of the California Senate Insurance Committee heard from a panel of …
Newly assertive leadership of the National Conference of Insurance Legislators appears eager to confront what it views as an ongoing usurpation of authority from state legislatures. Thomas B. Considine—now NCOIL’s chief executive, but previously commissioner of the New Jersey Department …
