This is a call to action sent to PIA Oregon members by PIA Oregon Lobbyist Lana Butterfield. In her report to PIA members, Butterfield said a bill before the short session of the Legislature will ban the use of credit history and many other rating factors.
“PIA thinks it will not be easy to defeat this, although we have done so in the past,” she said. “A number of changes in the legislative body and on the committee [House Business and Labor Committee] means we don’t have the same cushion of ‘no’ votes this year, so every vote is critical.”
She noted that the issue of credit scoring to set insurance rates for auto insurance and homeowners and renters insurance is a growing controversy.
“Last spring, Washington State’s Insurance Commissioner banned insurance scoring through an emergency rule. It resulted in significant rate increases for many consumers from a range of 5% to 50%, and some even 100%,” Butterfield said.
In her message to PIA Oregon members, she pointed out that the ban being considered in Oregon is even broader than that sought by Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler.
“This may cause rates to go even higher or may impact even more of your insureds than what our neighbors in Washington State have endured,” she said. ‘LC 179 says that insurers may not consider credit history, sex or gender, marital status, previous not-at-fault accidents, education, occupation, employment status, residential status, household members not licensed to drive, previous claims for personal injury protection benefits, criminal history, or suspension of driving privileges.”
With that, she asked PIA Oregon members to send their opinion to their representatives and to members of the House Business and Labor Committee. That is where the bill has been introduced.
“The bill has already been released to them and they are considering it now,” she wrote to PIA members. “The chair is going to count votes before he moves forward with the bill. So we would like you to let legislators know the importance of this issue.”
She said insurance industry lobbyists will be pushing legislators to vote no one the bill but messages from insurance agents will have more power.
Here is the list of the members of the House Business and Labor Committee and how to reach them:
Rep. Paul Holvey, Chair – Rep.PaulHolvey@oregonlegislature.gov
Rep. Daniel Bonham, Vice Chair – Rep.DanielBonham@oregonlegislature.gov
Rep. Dacia Grayber, Vice Chair – Rep.DaciaGrayber@oregonlegislature.gov
Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis – Rep.ShellyBoshartDavis@oregonlegislature.gov
Rep. Janelle Bynum – Rep.JanelleBynum@oregonlegislature.gov
Rep. Jamie Cate – Rep.JamiCate@oregonlegislature.gov
Rep. Paul Evans – rep.paulevans@oregonlegislature.gov
Rep. Julie Fahey – Rep.JulieFahey@oregonlegislature.gov
Rep. Jessica George – Rep.JessicaGeorge@oregonlegislature.gov
Rep. Andrea Salinas – Rep.AndreaSalinas@oregonlegislature.gov
Butterfield says you can write your own message, or you can use this form:
Dear Rep. (last name):
I am an insurance agent in Oregon, writing to you about my deep concern with LC 179, which bans insurers’ use of credit history and other rating factors. This bill will hurt many of my clients and your constituents! Please vote no.
Sincerely,
Your name and contact information
Butterfield asks that you blind copy her at lanab@teleport.com when you send your email.
If you have questions on the bill, do contact Butterfield at 503-819-5800 or lanab@teleport.com.
She also noted that consumers in Washington shared their stories on credit scoring, and Washington’s ban and you can see some of them on this website: //secure.viewer.zmags.com/publication/15af6962#/15af6962/1
