Group Criticizes California Commissioner For Not Dropping Uninsured Motorist Initiative

Consumer advocacy and public policy research group The Greenlining Institute is questioning whether California Commissioner Steve Poizner made a “masked attempt to target the poor.”

According to a letter sent to the Commissioner’s office last week, the group criticized Poizner for confirming to members of the media that he would be dropping a ballot initiative seeking to strip license plates from uninsured, working poor drivers, yet for not having done so. The group also said Poizner claimed he would focus efforts on improving the state’s Low Cost Auto Insurance Program, but also has not done so.

The uninsured ballot initiative would have required state and local law enforcement officers to remove the license plates of, and eventually impound, vehicles lacking proof of insurance and current valid registration. Poizner wanted the initiative to reduce the state’s number of uninsured drivers. But the initiative was criticized because lower income individuals frequently are the ones who cannot afford insurance.

“As of March 14, the Secretary of State reports you still have not formally withdrawn your ballot initiative targeting uninsured, working poor drivers,” the group wrote. “At the same time, you called for an April 9th hearing on Low Cost Auto Insurance without notifying Greenlining. You did not notify us despite our repeated attempts to inform you of the Low Cost Auto Insurance Program’s failure to sign up 99 percent of uninsured drivers.”

Poizner’s actions give the impression that his intention to get more drivers insured is only “masking an attempt to target the uninsured” at a later time, the group said.

“We hope that the delay in withdrawing the initiative is not due to your desire to qualify this anti-consumer, anti-immigrant ballot initiative in the future. Greenlining thus urges you to formally withdraw this ballot initiative from the Secretary of State immediately,” the Institute added.

The Low Cost Auto Insurance Program, designed to help low-income individuals purchase low-cost auto insurance, has a low participation rate, according to the Institute. The program has failed to sign up 99 percent of California’s uninsured drivers, according to its figures. As such, the advocacy group wants to address reasons for the program’s failures and possible solutions.

The group is asking Poizner to postpone a public hearing scheduled for April until June, to garner more participation and input from the public to address the issue. “Calling for a substitute hearing in June will allow for sufficient advance notice so that Greenlining and other consumer groups can help you reach a broader audience,” the group said. “Also, we again stress that you must formally withdraw your ballot initiative from the Secretary of State immediately.”

Topics California Auto