Newsom Seeks Swifter Action to Quell California Insurance Crisis

California Governor Gavin Newsom said he wants lawmakers to expedite the approval process for insurance companies seeking to hike rates, saying an overhaul of the state’s market is taking too long.

Newsom, speaking at a press conference in Sacramento on Friday, announced his push for legislation mandating the Department of Insurance to complete rate-filing reviews within 60 days. The governor’s urgency to tackle the crisis is underscored by his plan to expedite the bill, ahead of Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s comprehensive overhaul that’s supposed to conclude by year-end.

Gavin Newsom

Photographer: David Swanson/Bloomberg

“We’ve got to move this process along,” Newsom said. “We ...