Latest California Headlines
All the headlines from our California Topic Page, ordered by recency.
California’s Minimum Wage to Increase to $16 Per Hour in 2024
Sep 26 2023 // California’s minimum wage will increase to $16 per hour for all employers on Jan. 1, 2024. In 2023, the minimum wage was $15.50 for all employees regardless of employer size. Some cities and counties in California...
Arthur J. Gallagher Acquires Hartley Cylke Pacific Insurance Services in California
Sep 26 2023 // Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. acquired Hartley Cylke Pacific Insurance Services Inc. in San Diego, California. Michael Hartley, John Cylke, James Hawes and their team will remain in their current location under the...
Report Examines 10-Year California Workers Comp Payment Trends
Sep 25 2023 // Average paid losses on California workers’ compensation lost-time claims fell immediately after legislative reforms of SB 863 took effect a decade ago, but then gradually increased up until the pandemic hit,...
California Governor Vetoes Bill to Have Human Drivers Ride in Autonomous Trucks
Sep 25 2023 // California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill to require human drivers on board self-driving trucks, a measure that union leaders and truck drivers said would save hundreds of thousands of jobs in the state. The...
AM Best Tweaks State Farm Outlook to Negative After Weather, Regulatory Issues
Sep 25 2023 // The AM Best financial rating firm has downgraded its outlook for multiple State Farm insurance companies due to weather losses and regulations that the firm said hinder the insurance giant’s ability to adequately...
California Commissioner Wants FAIR Plan Changes, Modeling to Improve Insurance Market Conditions
Sep 22 2023 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced a package of sweeping executive actions that include changes to the FAIR Plan, new rules for the review of climate catastrophe models, and public meetings exploring...
Arthur J. Gallagher Acquires Ace Commercial in California
Sep 22 2023 // Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. acquired Corona, California-based Ace Commercial Insurance Center. Jackie Hoang, Anhdy Nguyen and their team will remain in their current location under the direction of Scott Firestone, head...
California Truck Drivers Ask Governor to Sign Job-Saving Bill as Self-Driving Big Rigs Are Tested
Sep 21 2023 // California lawmakers, union leaders and truck drivers are trying to steer Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom toward signing into law a proposal that could save jobs as self-driving trucks are tested for their safety on the...
People Moves: CSAA in California Names Pugh EVP and CIO; Kerfoot Joins Alliantin Hawaii
Sep 21 2023 // CSAA Insurance Group Promotes Pugh to EVP and CIO CSAA Insurance Group, headquartered in Walnut Creek, Calif., promoted Todd Pugh to executive vice president and chief information officer, overseeing all aspects of the...
US Home Insurance ‘Bubble’ Closer to Popping as Climate Risks Mount: Report
Sep 20 2023 // Home insurance costs that have soared in much of the US may get even higher. Tens of millions of properties around the country are insured at prices that haven’t caught up with the danger of hurricanes, wildfires and...
Environmental Groups Urge Regulators to Shut Down California Reactor Over Safety Concerns
Sep 19 2023 // Environmental groups called on federal regulators to immediately shut down one of two reactors at California’s last nuclear power plant until tests can be conducted on critical machinery they believe could fail and...
Thieves Swarm Luxury Malls in Southern California and Other Areas, Driving Retail Crime to $100B
Sep 19 2023 // It took just minutes for more than 20 thieves, clad in hoods and masks, to swarm the Nordstrom store in the Westfield Topanga shopping center and make off with $300,000 of handbags and other luxury items. A security guard...
California Suit Says Oil Giants Deceived Public on Climate, Seeks Funds for Storm Damage
Sep 18 2023 // The state of California filed a lawsuit against some of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, claiming they deceived the public about the risks of fossil fuels now faulted for climate change-related storms and...
2023 to Test Recent Growth in Private Flood Insurance Market
Sep 18 2023 // The private flood insurance market has been growing but 2023 may provide a real test following Tropical Storm Hilary in California, as well as future storms that may come during the remainder of the Atlantic hurricane...
Agency Partnerships: Then and Now
Sep 18 2023 // The first agency networks and partnership groups began in the 1970s, mostly to combine books of premium to access markets at a larger scale. Today, the reasons agencies join forces have moved far beyond combined premium,...
Business Moves
Sep 18 2023 // East One80 Intermediaries, GMI Insurance One80 Intermediaries, a specialty insurance broker headquartered in Boston, has acquired GMI Insurance, a Pennsylvania-based managing general agent specializing in commercial...
Removing Barriers to CAT Risk Modeling Will Slow Insurer Flight From High-Risk Areas
Sep 18 2023 // Technology has been embraced in a variety of ways within the homeowners’ insurance market. Many aspects of the claims process have been automated, insurers are utilizing more climate data than ever before to predict...
Gas Leak Forced Evacuation of Southern California Homes
Sep 15 2023 // A Southern California neighborhood was evacuated for more than six hours early Thursday due to a large leak of natural gas from an underground pipe, authorities said. The leak was detected around 1:30 a.m. in...
California Regulators Propose Higher Rates for PG&E Customers to Reduce Wildfire Risk
Sep 15 2023 // Power bills for about 16 million people in Northern California will likely increase after state regulators released two rate proposals for one of the nation`s largest utilities. The California Public Utilities Commission...
Mercury Introduces New Umbrella Policy as Bodily Injury Costs Rise in California
Sep 15 2023 // Mercury Insurance is introducing a new personal umbrella insurance policy for Californians that is designed to offer extra protection with bolstered coverages as the company notes that bodily injury payouts continue to...
