Senate Leader: Mandated Cut In Car Insurance Rates Is 'Dead'

click to expand

LANSING (AP) - A Michigan legislative leader says any proposal to automatically reduce auto insurance premiums would be "dead" on arrival in the Republican-controlled state Senate.

The pronouncement Wednesday from Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof is a reminder of just how difficult it will be for lawmakers to tackle one of their top priorities before year's end. Meekhof calls a government-mandated rate rollback "price fixing" and says Republicans should not interfere with private transactions.

Michigan has some of the highest auto premiums in the country, especially in the Detroit area. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and others are pushing legislators to act and have floated requiring insurers to cut their rates.

Past attempts to scale back Michigan's lifetime coverage for people catastrophically injured in crashes have failed.