Auto insurance in Louisiana is outrageous.
It’s been called many things—sky-high, expensive, unaffordable—with citizens paying nearly 49% more than the national average. And year after year, state legislators and insurance commissioners have done little to bring the rates down.
One Senator Wants to Change That
Enter State Senator Royce Duplessis. Sen. Duplessis has introduced SB214 this legislative session. If passed, his bill would fundamentally change how Louisiana selects its insurance commissioner.
Right now, the position is elected. Duplessis wants it appointed—starting in 2028.
Why?
“Consumer advocacy groups just don’t have the resources to compete with insurance companies in elections,” Duplessis says.
And the numbers back him up.
Current Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple ran unopposed last election. But the insurance industry still accounted for nearly 70% of his campaign contributions. Yes, that’s the very industry he’s supposed to regulate.
That doesn’t sit right with Duplessis.
“I’m all for elections,” he says, “but this is not a fair fight.”
A Push to Remove Politics From the Process
His goal is simple:
“I want to take the politics out of the position, so that we have an insurance commissioner who serves the people—not the industry.”
Under SB214, the governor would appoint the insurance commissioner from a list submitted by business and civic leaders.
Duplessis says 39 other states already do it this way—and it partly contributes to many of them having lower rates as a result.
The Fight Over Tort Reform
Some critics disagree. Temple is the most prominent of them.
Temple blames inflated lawsuits from personal injury lawyers as the real problem. His solution is Tort reform. His theory: if the state limits inflated lawsuits, insurance companies will face fewer costs—and pass those savings to consumers.
In a perfect world, if we would all just stop unnecessarily throwing our 4s up, the industry would treat us fairly.
Sen. Duplessis strongly disagrees.
“Tort reform is a lie,” he says. “It’s a hustle. Every time we’ve had Tort, they promised the rates would go down, but in actuality that’s not what happens.”
Temple argues rates haven’t dropped because Tort reform was watered down. Duplessis says that’s false.
“They got most of the bills they wanted passed. But they want to blame the rates on the one bill the governor vetoed.”
A Second Bill With Real Teeth
Duplessis is also supporting HB148, authored by Rep. Jeff Wiley. This bill would give the insurance commissioner the authority to label certain rates as excessive—and reject them.
Temple opposes this bill too.
“He doesn’t want to take responsibility for the rates people have to pay,” says Duplessis.
“But what’s the point of having a commissioner if he won’t do the job?”
Related: Unpacking Tim Temple’s Insurance Reform
Time for Accountability
Both HB148 and SB214 are moving through the Legislature:
- HB148 is up for final passage in the Senate.
- SB214 has a Senate hearing scheduled today.
These aren’t just technical bills.
They’re the beginning of a long-overdue fight for fairness in a state where insurance companies have held all the cards for too long.
If Louisiana is ever going to have affordable insurance, it will take bold reforms—and even bolder leadership.