Side With Disaster Survivors, Not Utility Lobbyists

Side with disaster victims. Do not side with the utility lobbyists. Restore survivors before enriching perpetrators. No shareholder dividend increases and no rate increases until survivors have been fully restored. Consistent with California Public Utilities Code § 8389, after a catastrophic wildfire resulting in death, utility executives should receive base salary only, with no bonuses, stock awards, or other incentive compensation until survivors are restored and independent safety requirements are met. These restrictions should be a condition of receiving safety certification and protection from the California Wildfire Fund. Stop attacking survivors' legal rights and ability to recover. Reject any proposals to cap punitive or non-economic damages, eliminate insurance subrogation, or limit attorneys' fees. Survivors already lost their homes, their neighbors, and in too many cases their family members. Stripping their legal remedies on top of that is not a compromise — it is a second betrayal. California's utility monopolies have spent $366 million lobbying for this deal. If it is good for the state, release the bill and defend it publicly. Survivors deserve accountability, not another wealth transfer to Wall Street.