Dear Constituent,

Wildfires, potential power outages, high heat, and continuing response to the COVID pandemic are all issues on most of our minds. My office will be holding our next virtual Town Hall next Wednesday, Sept. 9, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. to provide updates on these issues.

Wednesday's Town Hall will feature California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, as well as officials from our county Public Health Departments and Offices of Emergency Services. Speakers will focus on how to stay safe during this ongoing fire season, the changes the state has made to COVID response that affect business openings and other activities, and actions that the California Department of Insurance has taken to protect homeowners and other insurance consumers.

State Insurance Commissioner Lara will address the following topics during his portion of the program:

• The Order to auto insurers to rebate customer premiums, due to decrease in auto usage
• Directive to Insurers to not enforce deadlines for claims until 90 days after statewide emergency ends
• Elimination of co-pays, costs and deductibles related to COVID-19 screening and testing
• New consumer hotline for COVID-19 complaints and concerns
• Recent legislation, SB 872 (Dodd), to protect Residential Property Insurance

County public health staff will provide an update on the status of COVID-19 in our local communities and describe California's revised guidance on the pandemic response, known as the Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Staff from our county Offices of Emergency Services will discuss possible power outages, wildfire preparedness, and evacuation protocols, should any evacuations become necessary.

This Town Hall will be available to view on my website, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 9.

If you would like to submit a question on any of the topics listed above so that it can be addressed during the Town Hall, please do so here before noon, Wednesday, Sept. 9.

Finally, please have a safe holiday weekend, and keep in mind that the National Weather Service has issued a warning for extreme heat for our region. In addition, the state electrical grid operator has asked that we reduce electricity usage during the heat wave to avoid more power outages. Please see my previous email on staying cool and reducing electricity use. 

Sincerely,

Nancy Skinner
Senator, 9th District