Latest Politics Headlines

All the headlines from our Politics Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Mo. House Sends Scoring Bill to Senate

Apr 23 2002 // As anticipated, the Missouri House late last week passed and sent to the Senate without further changes a bill regulating insurers’ use of credit-based insurance scores. Earlier last week, the House rejected proposed...

AAI Backs Schumer Auto Fraud Bill in U.S. Senate

Apr 12 2002 // The Alliance of American Insurers has voiced its initial support for the Cheaper Car Insurance Act, which would make auto fraud a federal crime punishable by as long as 15 years in prison and as much as $100,000 in fines....

Ill. Senate Passes Red Light Camera Legislation

Apr 11 2002 // Legislation designed to reduce the high rate of automobile accidents caused by red light violations recently passed the Illinois Senate. Senate Bill 2159 permits municipalities and counties to install red light cameras...

President’s Message on Terrorism Insurance on Target; AAI Urges Senate to Act

Apr 10 2002 // President Bush’s strong stance on the need for federal terrorism insurance legislation April 8 has won the praise of the Alliance of American Insurers. The President told a White House audience, that included...

Iowa Senate Passes Premium Tax Reduction Bill

Apr 1 2002 // The state Senate passed March 27 Senate File 2318, which would cut the premium tax for property/casualty insurers from 2 percent to 1 percent over a four-year period, beginning in 2004. National Association of Independent...

Minn. Senate Passes Glass Repair, Fraud Unit Bills

Mar 21 2002 // Incentives such as “free” steaks, that drive up insurance costs for auto glass repairs may soon be history in Minnesota if the legislature can reconcile the differences in the House and Senate versions of House...

Minn. Senate Passes Legislation Restricting Use of Credit-Based Scores

Mar 20 2002 // Legislation that would prohibit insurers from canceling or non-renewing policyholders based solely on their credit-based insurance score passed the Minnesota Senate last week. “While Senate File 2363 is an...

House Passes Class Action Reform Bill; AAI Calls for Swift Senate Action

Mar 15 2002 // The U.S. House of Representatives approved the Class Action Fairness Act of 2001 (HR 2341) by a vote of 233 to 190 March 13. The Alliance of American Insurers called it a bipartisan show of statesmanship that will benefit...

Utah Senate Committee Approves House Bill On Credit-Based Scores

Mar 4 2002 // A state Senate committee approved on Feb. 27 House Bill 110, which would allow insurers to use credit-based insurance scores only to provide discounts to their auto insurance customers. The Senate Transportation and Public...

Wash. House And Senate Approve Bills Restricting Insurer Use of Credit Scores

Feb 21 2002 // Two measures approved over the weekend by the Washington State House and Senate restricting insurers’ use of credit scores could result in higher rates for the majority of policyholders, the American Insurance...

Colo. Senate Passes Bill to Include Living Expenses

Feb 15 2002 // The state Senate has passed a bill requiring “living expenses” to be paid in rehabilitation claims under personal injury protection (PIP) provisions in the state’s no-fault auto insurance law. “The...

S.D. Senate Rejects Effort to Repeal Household Exclusion Law

Feb 1 2002 // The South Dakota Senate defeated legislation earlier this week that would have eliminated the household exclusion from automobile insurance policies and created a new mandated coverage. The household exclusion prevents...

AIA Optimistic about Bush Administration Ergonomics Announcement

Jan 15 2002 // The American Insurance Association (AIA) has reiterated its strong opposition to any new federal ergonomics rule that would require mandated compensation levels or any other provision that would conflict or supercede the...

Senate Fails to Act on Federal Terrorism Reinsurance

Jan 14 2002 // During the first weeks of December, covering the story of whether or not Congress would pass a federal terrorism reinsurance bill before the year 2001 was out was pretty much a waiting game. At the time, most insurance...

Senate Fails to Act on Federal Terrorism Reinsurance Bill

Jan 14 2002 // During the first weeks of December, covering the story of whether or not Congress would pass a federal terrorism reinsurance bill before the end of 2001 was pretty much a waiting game. At the time, most insurance industry...

House Superfund Reform Bill Passes Senate

Dec 31 2001 // Calling it overly narrow in approach, the Alliance of American Insurers has reiterated the need for a more comprehensive federal approach to hazardous waste than that offered in the Small Business Liability Relief Act (HR...

Congressional Stalemate Could Slow Down Economic Recovery

Dec 24 2001 // The political stalemate that resulted in Congress’ failure to implement a federal terrorism insurance backstop could stifle an economic recovery and shifts the pressure for handling such risks to state regulators....

Insurers Lament Senate Inaction on Crucial Federal Terrorism Insurance Legislation

Dec 21 2001 // The push to enact federal terrorism insurance before the end of the year failed on Dec. 20 after promising Senate legislation was held hostage because some provisions ran contrary to the trial lawyer’s agenda,...

House Passes Terrorism Risk Protection Act, Attention Now Turns to Senate

Dec 10 2001 // In what is viewed by many leading insurance industry organizations as a significant step in the right direction, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Terrorism Risk Protection Act (HR 3210) by a vote of 227-193 on...

Michigan Bill on Confidentiality Passes Senate

Dec 5 2001 // A bill providing confidentiality protection for insurers that conduct voluntary self-assessments recently passed the Michigan Senate and was referred to the House Committee on Insurance and Financial Services. SB 674,...