Outdated calculations major factor in auto insurance rate hikes
Washington’s auto insurance rates increased an average of 24 percent this year. State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler approved the rate hikes, but you can’t totally blame him. Kreidler is required to accept rate increases proposed by insurance companies, provided they have math to back up their request and are not violating state law.
So that brings us to insurance companies. David Forte, a senior policy advisor in the Insurance Commissioner’s office, says insurers were using value calculations made before inflation really took off. Prices for parts and labor have since, making claims more expensive.
“As this explosion in repair costs happened and the value of vehicles tripled, insurance companies were using out-of-date calculations and they needed to drastically catch up so they could pay for future loss”, Forte said on a podcast produced by the Insurance Commissioner’s office.
Idaho drivers are also paying more for their insurance, though less so than their counterparts in Washington. Factors identified by Idaho Farm Bureau Insurance include serious and fatal accidents, which remain above pre-pandemic levels, and the increasing frequency of severe weather that damages insured properties.
Inslee announces utility bills credits, defends state climate law
$150 million in state money will pay for utility bill credits up to $200 dollars intended to help some 675,000 low- and moderate-income households pay their power bills. That’s about 20 percent of Washington residential customers.
The credits are funded through the 2021 Climate Commitment Act. Gov. Jay Inslee took the opportunity at Monday’s press conference to defend the law as it faces potential repeal through a ballot initiative this fall.
“The Climate Commitment Act has allowed us, today, to get people $200 off on their utility bills,” Inslee said. “That’s a big deal for families in this income bracket.”
He ticked off a short list of other climate act programs, such as discounts for young people to use mass transit and better insulation, HVAC and solar power for homes.
Responding to a reporter’s question, Inslee said the timing of the utility bill credits had nothing to do with the November ballot measure that targets the Climate Commitment Act. Inslee said the Monday announcement came because the sign-up website is ready to use.
Seattle-area housing consortium director Patience Malaba tied the utility credits to larger efforts to keep climate change from becoming a long-term catastrophe.
“If we do not make progress in energy transitions over the next decades, we know that the future of our children is hanging on the balance,” she said.
Of the 675,000 households eligible for the utility bill credits, state Commerce Department director Mike Fong said roughly half will be enrolled automatically; the other half will have to apply online. The deadline is September 15.
Spokane County joins suit against DCYF
Spokane County is joining a lawsuit against the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families.
County commissioners voted yesterday [MON] to sign onto the litigation.
At that meeting, county attorney Chris Anderson told the board that earlier this month, DCYF decided to stop taking in children who’d been sentenced to sentences longer than a month because of overcrowded state facilities.
“The direct impact is that youth that are under orders of detention of 30 days or more will not have anywhere to go, which means that they will likely remain in detention at the county, in the county's facilities and all of the various counties’ facilities,” Anderson said.
He said the Washington State Association of Counties has decided to sue for an injunction on DCYF’s decision.
"The impact of this is going to be felt directly by the individual counties," he told the commissioners. "And so, it is important for the counties to take action to remedy that.”
Anderson said there was no warning given to the counties, who will now have to bear the brunt of housing these children.
It’s in the best interest of the youth for them to go to state-run facilities, rather than county-run ones, he told the board.
“They are set up to handle those specific cases and those types of individuals that are sentenced to that term of detention and rehabilitation," he said. "And so sending them to the correct facility is an important part of the juvenile rehabilitative process.”
The board has now voted to join that suit, with four in favor and one member choosing to abstain because of his previous work representing DCYF in unrelated cases
Wildfire season continues in the Inland Northwest
The Gwen Fire, burning south of Juliaetta, Idaho, has burned more than 43 square miles since lightning sparked the blaze last week. About 300 people have been evacuated.
There was a community meeting about the fire last night in Lapwai.
The fire management team is planning on having another meeting for people on the other side of the fire later in the week.
Three fires continue to smolder close to Spokane.
The largest of the three, the South Columbia Basin Fire near Cheney, has burned about 250 acres, according to fire officials. They report it’s about 20% contained.
The Upper Cemetery Fire, which sparked on Friday afternoon, has burned a bit fewer than 50 acres.
The Mullen Hill Fire continues to keep one of the northbound lanes on Highway 195 closed. Southbound lanes and one northbound lane have reopened, according to transportation officials.
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Reporting contributed by Brandon Hollingsworth, Owen Henderson and Lauren Paterson.