Jim Beam column:Temple likes three auto bills
Auto insurance reform has been the major issue of the current legislative fiscal session and six bills have taken the spotlight. Two of five House bills have been approved by both chambers. The House has to agree to Senate changes in three of its bills and a Senate bill is awaiting a final House vote.
The Advocate said the Senate has passed five bills that affect who can sue and how much they can collect. It added that Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple, the insurance industry and their business allies say the legislation would reduce payouts and thus reduce rates.
Sen. Patrick McMath, R-Covington, said, 'What just passed out of the Senate, and if passed into law, would be the most comprehensive insurance reform in Louisiana history. These changes are geared toward addressing the unaffordable car insurance crisis in Louisiana.'
Only time will tell if that's true and Sen. Jay Luneau, D-Alexandria, doesn't agree. He has been a spokesman for trial lawyers who are often blamed for high auto insurance costs. Those attorneys are perhaps the biggest losers in the six bills.
'We're just taking away more people's rights, and rates won't go down,' Luneau said. The newspaper said he added that the Senate's rush to approve bills with late changes 'leads to bad legislation.'
One of the six bills, House Bill 148, is extremely controversial. It's a favorite of Republican Gov. Jeff Landry and a loser as far as Temple is concerned. The legislation would let the insurance commissioner reject insurance premium increases even when they are justified by the facts.
Temple said, 'It's a false claim that rates are high because the commissioner doesn't have some magical power. It doesn't address the fundamental problem in Louisiana —bodily injury and legal abuse.'
Earlier news reports have said Landry favors HB 148 so he can blame Temple when insurance rates increase. The House has to agree to the Senate changes to the bill.
During a recent speech, Landry said a study by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners shows that Louisiana is an outlier on one key metric: 'Our minor injury claims are double the national average,' he said.
The Advocate said Temple has said Louisiana has had twice as many minor injury claims as New York even though that state counts five times as many residents. So the two officials do agree on something.
OK, here are the other five bills:
HB 431would bar drivers responsible for at least 51% of the accident from receiving a damage award to cover their injuries. Under current law, a driver responsible for 51% of the accident can collect a payment equal to 49% of the overall damage award. The House has to agree to Senate changes on that bill.
HB 434 would disallow a driver without car insurance from collecting an award for bodily injury medical expenses for any amount below $100,000, up from $15,000 today. It is awaiting the governor's signature.
HB 436 would prohibit undocumented immigrants who are injured in car accidents from collecting general damages. The House has to agree to Senate changes.
HB 450 would require someone who sued over injuries in a car accident to show that the injuries actually occurred during the accident. The bill goes to the governor.
Senate Bill 231 would allow lawyers for insurance companies to tell jurors how much people injured in wrecks actually pay in medical bills. Under current law, jurors hear the total amount billed, regardless of what the plaintiff paid. The bill has passed the Senate and is in a House committee.
The Advocate reported that Temple said House Bills 431 and 450 and SB 231 would 'move the needle forward.'
Senate Democrats argued against the bills, saying earlier pro-industry legislation hasn't brought rates down. They also pointed to an April report by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners that said in 2023 insurance companies in Louisiana had the third highest underwriting profit, the fourth lowest loss ratio and the fifth highest return on net worth.
Legislators appear to have made some progress in tackling major reasons for Louisiana's unbelievably high auto insurance rates. However, it may take more time and more legislation than we would like to determine if that's true.
Jim Beam, the retired editor of the American Press, has covered people and politics for more than six decades. Contact him at 337-515-8871 or jim.beam.press@gmail.com. Reply Forward
Add reaction
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
24 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Trump's praise for Sweeney ad sends American Eagle stock surging
American Eagle Outfitters saw its stock price surge more than 20% on Monday, after President Trump praised the retailer's controversial marketing campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney on his Truth Social platform. 'Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the 'HOTTEST' ad out there. It's for American Eagle, and the jeans are 'flying off the shelves.' Go get 'em Sydney!' Trump wrote Monday morning, sparking the rally in shares that began after markets opened. The president's endorsement comes amid a firestorm of criticism over the campaign. The controversy centers on a promotional video featuring Sweeney that was posted to American Eagle's social media channels. The video has since been removed. In the teaser, the 'Euphoria' actress discusses hereditary traits in a sultry voice, stating: 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.' As she speaks, the video shows Sweeney zipping up her jeans before the camera pans up her body and focuses on her face and blue eyes, framed by blonde hair. The visual emphasis on Sweeney's features prompted backlash from critics on the internet who were quick to accuse the ad of promoting eugenics and aligning with white nationalist messaging. Pittsburgh-based American Eagle defended the campaign in a statement it posted to Instagram last Friday, saying it 'is and always was about the jeans.' Trump used the opportunity to criticize what he called 'woke' advertising, citing examples like Jaguar's recent rebrand and Bud Light's partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in 2023. 'The market cap destruction has been unprecedented, with BILLIONS OF DOLLARS SO FOOLISHLY LOST,' he wrote, contrasting those campaigns with American Eagle's approach. The stock surge represents the latest chapter in what has become a meme-driven rally for American Eagle, which initially jumped last month when retail traders piled into the stock following the campaign's debut. American Eagle has faced significant financial challenges in recent months. In May, the retailer withdrew its full-year guidance and announced a $75-million write-off of spring and summer merchandise due to slow sales, steep discounting and difficult market conditions. The company reported a first-quarter net revenue of $1.1 billion, down 5% from the prior year, with comparable sales falling 3%. Several prominent Republicans, including Vice President JD Vance and Sen. Ted Cruz, have also defended Sweeney and the campaign against criticism. The actress herself has not publicly addressed the controversy surrounding the advertisements. American Eagle shares closed at $13.28 on Monday, up 24%.
The Hill
24 minutes ago
- The Hill
Texas Dems vow to continue battle after Abbott orders their arrests
Members of the Texas state House vowed to continue their fight against Republicans' efforts to redraw the congressional district map after Gov. Greg Abbott (R) ordered their arrests for leaving the state to deny the chamber quorum. A group of state House members and Texas Democrats in the U.S. House gathered for a press conference on Monday after the state legislators left the Lone Star State to prevent the GOP from voting on a measure that would enact mid-decade redistricting and could help them pick up seats in next year's midterm elections. Although the state House members who are still in Texas came together earlier in the day for the special legislative session that Abbott called, they were unable to conduct any business because of the lack of quorum, which requires two-thirds of the members to be present. While Democrats are a significant minority in the body, more than 50 of them left the state for Illinois, New York or Massachusetts. Those who went to Illinois slammed the proposed map as 'blatant racism' during the press conference, arguing it would dilute the political power of Hispanic and Black communities through gerrymandering. State Rep. Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos (D), who is the chair of the Texas Legislative Progressive Caucus, said Republicans should be focusing on affordability and health care, but they're pushing the 'racist radical redistricting map' instead. If passed, the new map could allow the GOP to pick up five currently Democratic-held seats in the U.S. House. Rodríguez Ramos said more than 60 percent of Texans are Hispanic, African American or Asian. 'But they want to silence our voice,' she said. 'This is nothing short of blatant racism.' State Rep. John Bucy (D) said he didn't run for office to walk out of the state Capitol, but Democrats' actions were necessary. He said Democrats broke quorum because upholding their oath of office sometimes means refusing to play along in a 'rigged game.' He said the special legislative session that Abbott called was originally supposed to be about aid after significant flooding in Texas that cost more than 100 lives, but President Trump and Abbott held hearings on the redistricting plan instead. 'We're not running away,' Busey said. 'We're running into the fight.' 'This isn't political theater — it's survival,' he added. 'Because if we lose the power to choose our leaders, we lose everything.' The press conference also featured U.S. House members who could lose their seats if the new map goes through. Rep. Julie Johnson (D-Texas), who previously served in the state House, encouraged Democratic-led states to respond with similar measures if Texas ultimately approves the map. Various Democratic governors like California Gov. Gavin Newsom and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul have expressed interest in redrawing their own states' lines if Texas does it first. Johnson said Democrats should declare 'gloves are off' and if Republicans do it in Texas, they'll respond in their own states. 'Democrats are no longer going to sit by, handcuffed,' she said. 'This is an all-out war. Everything is on the table.' Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), whose seat is also at risk, argued that if Republicans in Texas succeed in redrawing the map, the GOP will try it in other states as well. He said the courage of the state House members should be 'commended.' 'It's not just Texas,' he said. 'It really is the United States of America because if they succeed in Texas, they will take this to other states. They will take this to the county court level. They will take this to the commissioners, to the school boards. They will take this across… the country, but they'll do it if only we stand by and watch them.' The decision by the state House members to leave the state to deny quorum and Abbott to call for their arrests has stoked tensions even further as the increasingly national conversation over redistricting spreads to more states. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) said on Sunday that his state would protect the Texas House members from the threat of arrest while they're in Illinois. The move will at least delay plans from the GOP to pass the new map, but whether they will ultimately be able to affect the result is unclear.
Associated Press
24 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Alaska Sen. Murkowski toys with bid for governor, defends vote supporting Trump's tax breaks package
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, speaking with Alaska reporters Monday, toyed with the idea of running for governor and defended her recent high-profile decision to vote in support of President Donald Trump's tax breaks and spending cuts bill. Murkowski, speaking from Anchorage, said 'sure' when asked if she has considered or is considering a run for governor. She later said her response was 'a little bit flippant' because she gets asked that question so often. 'Would I love to come home? I have to tell you, of course I would love to come home,' she said. 'I am not making any decisions about anything, because my responsibility to Alaskans is my job in the Senate right now.' Several Republicans already have announced plans to run in next year's governor's race, including Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom. Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy is not eligible to seek a third consecutive term. Alaska has an open primary system and ranked choice voting in general elections. Murkowski is not up for reelection until 2028. A centrist, Murkowski has become a closely watched figure in a sharply divided Congress. She has at times been at odds with her party in her criticism of Trump and blasted by some GOP voters as a 'Republican in name only.' But her decision to support Trump's signature bill last month also frustrated others in a state where independents comprise the largest number of registered voters. She previously described her decision-making process around the bill as 'agonizing.' On Monday, she said it was clear to her the bill was not only a priority of Trump's but also that it was going to pass, so it became important to her to help make it as advantageous to the state as she could. 'So I did everything within my power — as one lawmaker from Alaska — to try to make sure that the most vulnerable in our state would not be negatively impacted,' she said. 'And I had a hard choice to make, and I think I made the right choice for Alaskans.'
