Dave Jones, insurance commissioner and attorney general candidate. (Courtesy photo)

Dave Jones, a candidate in the 2018 California attorney general race, spoke at the November meeting of the Progressive Democrats of Benicia Club held Monday at the Benicia Senior Center. Thirty-five people attended this meeting.
Jones was elected State Insurance Commissioner in 2010 and was re-elected to that position in 2014 which he still serves. As insurance commissioner, Jones leads the Department of Insurance which works closely with state and federal prosecutors across the state to investigate and prosecute fraud and other insurance-related crimes.
When asked why he is running for attorney general, Jones said he has been preparing for the job his whole professional life. When former Attorney General Kamala Harris announced she was running for senator in 2016, Jones launched his campaign. Harris won a Senate seat that fall, with former Rep. Xavier Becerra appointed to Harris’ position in January.
Jones discussed his three priorities if elected: 1. Resisting federal government efforts to undermine affordable health care, LGBTQ rights and immigrant rights. 2. Promoting criminal justice reform, including more transparency and accountability in policing and better integration of ex-offenders back into the community. 3. Consumer protection.
Jones noted that he is one of the only candidates who has pledged not to take campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry, the insurance industry, charter school PACs or Walmart. He also said he is the only candidate in support of Senate Bill 562 – The Healthy California Act – which aims to provide comprehensive universal single-payer health care coverage and a health care cost control system for all Californians.
Asked whether he would defend the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) against those who would weaken it, Jones stated that California is in great need of additional housing and that he would support making housing development easier to permit. He did mention, however, he supports environmental concerns in California.
In addition to leadership of the Department of Insurance, Jones served in the Bill Clinton administration for three years as a special assistant to United States Attorney General Janet Reno, represented California’s 9th Assembly District– consisting of the Elk Grove/Lodi region from 2004 through 2011, where he chaired three Assembly committees including the Judiciary, Health, and Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services. His legislative work included protections for seniors and dependent adults facing abuse though 2006’s Assembly Bill 1363, and preventing HMOs and health insurers from charging men and women different rates for the same health insurance policies through 2009’s Assembly Bill 119.
Jones also served five years on the Sacramento City Council where he advocated for anti-crime and law enforcement strategies at the community level.
The next meeting of the Progressive Democrats of Benicia Club will be at 7 p.m., Jan. 9 in the Dona Benicia Room of the Benicia Public Library, located at 150 East L St. The featured speaker will be Gayle McLaughlin, a 2018 candidate for lieutenant governor and former Richmond mayor.

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