Duggan, Leonard Unveil Contentious Auto Insurance Bill at Critical Points in Campaigns
“This is an issue that’s been contentious, it’s divided people’s bases in the past, it’s never worked.”
Michigan has some of the highest auto insurance rates in the nation. A bipartisan group of lawmakers recently unveiled the latest attempt to overhaul Michigan’s auto no-fault insurance system.
WDET’s Jake Neher and Michigan Public Radio’s Cheyna Roth talk about why some people are optimistic this will be the year drivers get some relief.
They say much of that has to do with the two people spearheading the effort at the state Capitol — Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a Democrat, and state House Speaker Tom Leonard, a Republican.
“It’s possible that because these two are working on it, because we’re seeing some bipartisan support on this, that the outcome could be different this year,” says Roth.
Neher notes that the timing of the rollout is also significant, given that Duggan is less than a month away from an election that will decide whether he returns as mayor for another year, and that Leonard has decided to launch a campaign for Michigan attorney general just days after unveiling the no-fault proposal.
“This is an issue that’s been contentious, it’s divided people’s bases in the past, it’s never worked,” says Neher. “Maybe they think that this is a winning issue now.”
Click on the audio player above to hear the full conversation.
