Governor’s Budget Drives Insurance Rates Straight Answers and Facts

Isn’t the state budget supposed to be about funding state programs?  Why is this in there?

A.    The budget is sometimes used to bury special interest laws the people would never support.  Aside from the lobbyists for the Trial Lawyers, who wants higher insurance rates, few people support higher insurance rates.

These issues have always been handled as separate bills. Normally, a committee that focuses on insurance issues would have hearings to allow real people to tell how this affects their family budget.

What will these new laws mean to my family?

A.    Higher rates and less choice.  Wisconsin would go from the 3rd lowest auto rates in the country to one of the highest.  Wisconsin families would be required to buy more insurance than any other state.

What will this do to my insurance rates?

A.    The budget contains ten different plans that all drive insurance rates higher.  The biggest increases will fall on low- and middle-income families who have trouble affording the insurance they already have.  Many families will see increases of over 33%.  Families paying an additional $300 will be common.

I’ve heard about the higher minimum rates proposal.  Is that what this is all about?

A.    Making our minimum rates the highest in the nation is only one of 10 changes that drive auto rates up.  You will pay more if you have a second car, insure against uninsured or underinsured motorists, have a child in the household who drives or a number of other common factors.  Virtually everyone will pay up to $300 more for auto insurance if this passes.

What can I do?

A.    Contact you legislators and tell them to take this out of the budget bill.  A phone call works great.  Just call the Legislative Hotline at 800-362-9472 to be connected to your own legislator.  You can also write a letter or send an email by clicking our legislative contact site below.