Sacramento, CA – The alarm couldn’t be louder. California is facing unprecedented, destructive wildfires – 14 of the largest 20 wildfires in California history occurred just in the last decade. Unbelievably, some incredibly destructive wildfires have been set by arsonists including the Clayton Fire in Lake County, which destroyed 188 homes, and the Esperanza Fire, which claimed the lives of five firefighters in Southern California.  

Sacramento–Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire’s legislation that would stop mortgage companies from hoodwinking wildfire survivors has overwhelmingly cleared the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

Tens of thousands of Californians have lost their homes and businesses to wildfires in the last eight years. After facing the traumatic and life-changing experience of losing their home, survivors have to begin the challenging task of rebuilding their homes and lives.

Sacramento–Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire has successfully embedded his legislation, SB 370, into the state budget which will be passed by the Legislature today. The policy ensures 2019 Kincade Fire survivors will be exempt from paying state income taxes on settlement awards from PG&E, allowing survivors to put more money back in their pockets to rebuild their homes and lives.

The 2019 fire, which was sparked by a faulty PG&E transmission line, forced nearly 100,000 people to flee, and destroyed 174 homes. 

Sacramento – The Senate and Assembly voted overwhelmingly this morning to pass the State Legislature’s budget, which will increase public school funding to record levels, bolster funding and accountability to combat the homelessness crisis in our communities, increase funding for wildfire response and prevention, and restore desperately needed funding for coastal communities to combat the climate crisis, all while setting aside a record $37.2 billion dollars in state reserves.