Up for debate: Gas tax, fire insurance, climate

Candidates in the governor's race exchange views on environmental issues.

- BY BLANCA BEGERT

KATIE PORTER and Matt Mahan cast shadows on the backdrop of the gubernatorial debate in Claremont.

(ERIC THAYER Los Angeles Times)

Wildfire and insurance — issues amped by climate change — along with the price of gas, took center stage at the California governor’s debate on Tuesday night.

Here are some of the candidates’ defining statements, starting left of the stage:

The Democratic state superintendent of public instruction addressed the state’s wildfire insurance crisis, in which private insurers have been dropping policies as climate change fuels more frequent catastrophic fire. The state has allowed insurers to raise rates in return for writing more policies, but so far its backup FAIR Plan, meant to provide coverage when other companies will not, continues to grow.

Thurmond said he would withhold tax credits, subsidies and benefits from non-cooperative insurers, although moderators and other candidates raised questions about the legality of this strategy.

“The governor can certainly work with the insurance commissioner to say there should be no rate increase unless the insurance industry is actually writing policies. They have failed California in our greatest need. They've taken the money for premiums and then when people needed to have support to rebuild their homes, they said, ‘Whoops, we're not going to help you.’ Then they got a rate increase. I’m sorry, where I come from, when you do a bad job, you don’t get a raise.”

The Republican Riverside County sheriff said insurers aren't leaving California because of climate change, but because the state has failed to pass and enforce vegetation management and defensible space policies that would reduce wildfire risk.