Fight over insurance costs to hit House floor

American Press

26-04-2025

Gov. Jeff Landry is dueling with Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple over the best ways to lower insurance rates for consumers. (Quinn Marceaux/LSU Manship School News Service)
By Avery Sams | LSU Manship School News Service
BATON ROUGE — Gov. Jeff Landry and Louisiana insurance commissioner Tim Temple are at odds over how to fix the state's insurance cost crisis–one of the most important issues being debated in the 2025 legislative session.
Tensions have been high as the two men have held competing news conferences and took turns testifying before a House committee, and the fight could hit
the House floor as early as Monday. Landry testified before the House Committee on Insurance on April 16 in support of House Bill 576, which would give Temple more power to block excess insurance rates.
'What we are here today to talk about is giving the insurance commissioner the ability to hang a Sword of Damocles over insurance companies so that when we make the adjustment in the tort law … our people get the benefits that we claim they should,' Landry said. 'The bill is not designed as a hammer for the insurance commissioner, the bill is designed as a safeguard.'
Temple followed in direct opposition, not seeing the need to grant more power to himself or future commissioners.
'I think the system we have works,' Temple simply put.
The bill would give more power to the commissioner to deny excessive insurance rates and discretion to decide what rates are excessive, inadequate, or unfairly
discriminatory. The committee advanced the bill on a 13-4 vote. Temple, who ran without opposition in 2023 and is not a Landry appointee, continued to oppose the governor's idea of a 'balanced approach' – requiring sacrifices from both insurance companies and the plaintiff's lawyers who sue them for damages.
It is a rare these days to see such an open fight between a governor and another statewide official Several other bills advanced by the committee are also headed to the House floor, and lawmakers will have to decide on the best approach to easing or halting the rise in auto insurance rates that has angered consumers.
House Bill 248, introduced by Rep. Roger William Wilder III, R-Denham Springs, also would give the commissioner more discretion – in this case to decide how
information insurance companies could keep confidential and how much they must make public Temple, who has worked in the insurance industry, again opposed the bill introduced under Landry's agenda, followed by similar opposition from Ronnell Nolan, chief executive and president of Health Agents for America, a trade group.
'My issue is about power…The bill lacks a standard of what the commissioners can do and can't do,' Nolan said.
In Temple's own opposition, he told the committee that he is concerned that this bill and others might hinder new companies from coming to Louisiana.
'We're trying to promote and encourage companies to come to Louisiana…We shouldn't be telling people this is a magic thing that will fix everything because it won't,' Temple said.
The other insurance bills awaiting House floor debate include two that Temple supported. One was House Bill 440, which would eliminate the mandatory use of health insurance after a car accident.
The bill goes on to say that in the case of a lawsuit and if the plaintiff chooses not to use their health insurance, the defendant would be able to presume that the
plaintiff did not try to mitigate damages.
Temple also favored House Bill 379, which would allow customers to opt for property arbitration regarding insurance property claims.
Arbitration lets people handle their disputes outside of a traditional courtroom setting. Consumers would be offered certain discounts if they opt for this endorsement, but these clauses usually require that consumers waive their right to litigate in court.
The House Insurance Committee advanced the bill 11-7 after back and forth between committee members and opponents like Luke Williamson, a trial lawyer.
Williamson voiced concerns about how this might prey on consumers' lack of understanding that they are waiving their rights to litigate in hopes of receiving a
discount from their insurer.
'I think it could increase the lawsuit process because it's [arbitration] too
complicated,' Williamson said.
But Rep. Gabe Firment, R-Pollock, countered: 'Aren't we to the point in our state where we can trust people to make decisions for themselves?'
House Bill 549, which would provide premium discounts for commercial vehicles that install dashboard cameras and telematic systems, passed unanimously to be heard on the House floor.
This is an effort to increase safety in commercial vehicles like semi-trucks and construction equipment and prevent questionable lawsuits against them.