California judge claims state fired her for blocking insurance rate increases

A former California judge is suing the state and a top insurance official after she spoke out about insurance rate hikes.Kristin Rosi, the former Chief Administrative Law Judge for the California Department of Insurance, accused California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and his department of going around her authority, entering into settlements with insurers looking for rate hikes without her say.She said the practice violates Proposition 103, a 1988 ballot measure that gives the insurance commissioner authority to review auto, home, and other rate increases.The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

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Never miss a story The measure also guarantees public rate hearings and forbids premiums that are “excessive, inadequate, unfairly discriminatory or otherwise in violation of the Insurance Code.”Rosi was placed on leave in January 2025 after more than a decade on the court.Her September lawsuit in Alameda County accuses the commissioner, a former deputy commissioner, and the department of whistleblower retaliation, sex discrimination, infliction of emotional distress, and other causes of action in seeking damages.“Judge Rosi was in the unenviable position of indicating that the law must be followed,” Rosi’s attorney Wendy Musell told the Los Angeles Times.

“Once she raised these concerns, she swiftly found herself out of a job.”Lara, a former state senator, took office in 2019 and is exiting office as Jane Kim won an election for his seat this fall.Kim, the more progressive alternative to competitor state senator Ben Allen, has pledged to “make insurance affordable, available, and fair.”Rosi has also accused Lara, using “widespread press accounts,” of lavish trips across the world, including to Paris, Dubai, London, and Singapore.

The lawsuit says Lara didn’t pr...