Gov. Landry’s insurance reform plan draws public reaction

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple and personal injury attorney Morris Bart are reacting to Governor Jeff Landry’s insurance reform plan.

The governor has attributed the high cost of car insurance to both, and hopes to hold the parties accountable.

During a press conference on Thursday press conference, Temple hoped to set the record straight.

A day prior, Landry claimed Temple’s office didn’t have enough authority to hold insurance companies accountable for their high premiums.

“Similar to 29 other states across the country, I have all the authority I need to deny a rate for being too high, and I exercise it,” said Temple.

The insurance companies weren’t the only ones in the hot seat.

“I’m just as tired of seeing Morris Bart as I am of seeing the lizard,” said Landry.

During an interview on Thursday, Bart responded, “I know that because of my recognition and pervasive advertising throughout the state, that people associate me with it, and apparently the governor now wants to make me the poster child of it.”

Landry and Temple both agree that the state’s high accident rates and resulting litigation are major contributors to high insurance rates.

Temple says he will be supporting his own package of bills that will incentivize insurance companies to write policies in the state. He says that it will create competition, which, in return, will lower premiums.

“When we get an accident, we’re more than twice the national average to file a bodily injury claim and more than twice to litigate,” explained Temple. “Those are the biggest cost drivers in the state, and that’s what the majority of the legislation is going to focus on.”

According to Bart, no state has ever passed a law that has lowered premiums.

“Here’s what’s going to happen,” said Bart. “When this session is over, lawyers will still be advertising. Insurance companies will still be charging the same premiums, but the people of Louisiana will have lost some of their rights.”

Following Temple’s press conference, Landry responded with a post on X:

At a time when Louisianans are suffering and seeking answers to their sky-high insurance bills, our Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple hosted a media spectacle, telling citizens he has all the authority he needs to fix our insurance crisis. Well, why hasn’t anything been done?

He gave us a package of bills last year, yet we still have no relief.

I’d remind him that we were not elected by insurance companies or trial lawyers, but instead were elected by the people who entrusted us to fix this mess.

Data shows our package of bills will lower insurance rates for all Louisianans, and I look forward to the day when our insurance commissioner can get on board.

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