Legislation that was slated to slash the massive Auto insurance bills that Michigan is known for was criticized for not being expansive enough by Governor Gretchen Whitmer (Dem). According to US News, the governor stated that the bill falls short and advised legislators to keep the measure off her desk until negotiated changes were made. The significance of the law in Michigan especially is because of the expensive average insurance rates charged in the state.
Click on Detroit mentions that Michigan's insurance rates are demonstrably the highest on average in the entire country, across the board.
The bill was scathingly criticized by the governor, and she had some even more choice words for the legislators who are attempting to pass the measure as well.
Consumer protection is key
Governor Whitmer was irate at lawmakers, stating, "They can either negotiate in good faith and send me a good bill that actually protects consumers, while we also continue to negotiate a budget that fixes the damn roads, or they can send one of the current bills to me that fails to protect Michigan drivers, and we can start all over again."
The Democratic governor's position to protect the average consumer is laudable but she had an idea of what she wanted the bill to present, and it fell short of it. According to various media reports, the governor was quoted as saying that she was done playing games over the controversial bill, and added that she expected legislation to come up with real solutions that would be of benefit to the people.
Whitmer’s aim, as she stated to the assembled press earlier this month in asking for the reform of insurance in the state, was to increase consumer protections and transparency within the industry, leading to better accountability for clients of the insurance industry.
A surprising vote
Although the GOP legislators introduced the auto insurance bill, discussion in the Michigan Senate ended with some Democrats voting alongside the Republicans to see the bill passed.
Governor Whitmer insisted that the allowances existing in the current proposal were insufficient to give people significant savings and said that she expected the consumer to have far more options. The bill would benefit people by allowing them to pay the same amount for medical services as public and private health insurers do.
Additionally, the bill allowed for reimbursement for auto insurers for any expenses that surpassed $580,000 in the case of severe injury. The governor wanted a similar level of attention paid to individuals as opposed to insurers and sent the bill back for reconsideration before she would agree to sign it.
