A bill introduced in California’s state legislature would make fossil fuel companies legally liable for damages from climate change, similarly to current law holding utilities liable for fires started by their equipment.

Oil industry officials say the bill is ‘nothing more than a political opportunity. We need real solutions to help victims in the wake of this tragedy,

California lawmakers introduced a first-in-the-nation bill Monday to create a clear legal pathway for individuals and insurance companies to sue oil companies for damages after fires like the ones that destroyed whole neighborhoods in Los Angeles this month.