Alexi Giannoulias: Illinois can't afford unchecked auto insurance rates

Everyone knows auto insurance premiums have skyrocketed in recent years, making car ownership less affordable and, for many families, completely out of reach.

One major reason: insurance companies don't always base premiums on how safely Illinoisans drive. That principle is at the heart of the Driving Change legislation our office is championing in Springfield, which would move Illinois toward a fairer, more affordable system that prioritizes what should matter most: a driver's record behind the wheel.

This proposal is part of Senate Bill 1486, which also aims to rein in the surging cost of homeowners' insurance in Illinois. The Illinois House recently passed the measure and it now awaits consideration in the Illinois Senate.

At its core, the legislation brings long-overdue accountability to the insurance market. It gives the Illinois Department of Insurance the authority to review rates, challenge them, and — if necessary — force insurance companies to issue a rebate to consumers when they've been overcharged.

Illinois is currently an outlier. In every other state — except for Wyoming and Illinois — regulators have the authority to stop excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory rates before they hit consumers' wallets. Not here. Illinois requires drivers to purchase car insurance coverage, yet the state fails to provide the basic consumer safeguards that residents in almost every other state take for granted.

In other words, Illinois families get left holding the bill first — and asking questions later. That ends with this legislation.

It also tackles affordability head-on. For the first time, Illinoisans would receive at least 60 days' notice before any rate hike of more than 10%0 takes effect. That means no surprises when bills hit mailboxes and inboxes each month.

All of this is great news for Illinois consumers. But Big Insurance has other ideas. As you might imagine, the insurance industry vehemently opposes efforts that would make coverage more affordable for Illinois families. Instead, they've come up with an alternative to legislation: another study.

When it comes to government speak, a "study" often translates to a convenient non-solution for folks who prefer delay over reform. Studies don't require change. They don't challenge the status quo. They sit on shelves collecting dust while the problems they examine continue to grow.

But here's the problem. Big Insurance wants its "impartial" study conducted by the University of Illinois' Office of Risk Management and Insurance Research, which is funded by the very insurance industry whose practices are under scrutiny.

Illinois doesn't need more analysis. We need action.

A fairer, more transparent system would mean more accountability, safer roads and greater justice. For countless Illinoisans — especially in communities where public transit isn't available near home or work — a car is a necessity, not a luxury. But in Illinois, if you can't afford insurance, you can't drive.

The loss of a vehicle makes it harder to run essential errands, transport kids, get to work, receive a paycheck and ultimately earn a living and provide for a family. In a country already struggling with pricing inequality, these practices only deepen the divide.

And those who choose to illegally drive without required auto insurance face civil fines, the loss of driving privileges and reinstatement fees that can result in an endless and even more costly downward financial spiral. Most worrisome is that these drivers make our roads less safe — for everyone.

All this comes on the heels of news that insurance companies are raking in massive fossil fuel profits, which contribute to severe weather conditions that drive up insurance costs. The result? Insurance companies are jacking up premiums in states like Illinois and slashing coverage elsewhere as extreme weather worsens in places like California, Florida and even right over the border in Iowa.

Consumers, who now are being squeezed from every direction, deserve better.

The cost of owning a vehicle is high enough. Illinois doesn't need an industry-funded study. We need fair reforms that ensure insurance prices reflect how people actually drive and bring meaningful oversight to the insurance system.

It's time to put Illinois drivers back in the driver's seat.