Wisconsin to repeal most auto insurance coverage

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15A bill would be introduced by Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature s there are plans to repeal the increases in most auto insurance coverage as they were mandated by the Democrats as this has resulted in higher premiums.  Carrying auto insurance is still mandatory and has been in effect since last year.  But the bill by Rep. John Nygren, Sen. Frank Lasee, will repeal just about anything that the Democrats had passed since 2009 and that which was signed into a law by Gov. Jim Doyle.

The details of the bill were provided to the Associated Press on Tuesday and would be circulated for the co-sponsors by Wednesday.

The current Governor Scott Walker, a republican who assumed office last week has supported this bill and will sign it for sure, stated his spokesman Cullen Werwie.

Nygren stated that he had hoped that this bill would be passed sometime during spring.  Most Republicans who were elected last November had heard complaints regarding the new law during the course of the campaign, and hence the urgency to respond to that, he said.

Now that the Senate and the Assembly is controlled by the Republicans it would become difficult for the Democrats to stop the bill now.  But they were a majority when the requirements for higher coverage were passed in the legislature.

This bill would help lower the liability levels that are required, coverage for uninsured and underinsured motorists.

All these changes had resulted in increased rates say the state regulators as well as the insurance industry.  But when there were complaints from the consumers, Democrats in turn blamed the increase in costs due to the decisions taken by insurance firms and not because of higher coverage.

There was heavy lobbying by the Wisconsin Insurance Alliance that represents insurance firms as they were against the changes in law passed by the Democrats.  Andy Franken, President, Wisconsin Insurance Alliance, stated that the changes would affect different policy holders in different ways due to the changes that were brought about.  Those who purchased a higher policy and could not lower it could now see a price cut.  There was support in the Alliance for the bill, he stated.

However, there was support for raising the minimum coverage by the Wisconsin Association for Justice, which is represented by the trial attorneys.  They said this raise was justified as there had been no raise in almost 3 decades.