Gov. Smith & Lt. Gov. Barnes in Congress
Gov. Smith & Lt. Gov. Barnes in Congress
MS Governor of Texas PRESTON SMITH delivering speech to Texas State Congress, Sep 1972: "Right-making & price-fixing in the Texas manner does not work in the best interest of the consumer. It has inherent disadvantages & inadequacies & distracts attention from such real consumer concerns as the availability of coverage, discrimination & cancellation. The process of the board s annual setting of rates does not permit immediate action on any company s part when a reduction rate happens to be called for. In effect, it penalizes everyone. Under the competitive rate plan I am recommending to you & to the people of this state, I am confident that reasonable rate reductions will be instituted when they are justified." TLSs near-empty State Congress in session, the upper gallery more full than the floor. MS Governor Preston Smith walking past cam. MS Lieutenant Governor BEN BARNES talking to off-screen reporter: "People are sometimes misled by our elected public officials, perhaps not intentionally, but we all like to talk about how we re going to do something very quickly. I don t want the public to be misled. Competitive auto insurance rate might well not bring about overnight reduction in their cost of auto insurance." MS unidentified state congressman speaking to off-screen reporter: "I don t know of any other problem that we have in Texas right now that so agitates the people as insurance. The question of rates is one aspect of the problem and if the governor is correct we are the only state that doesn t have some form of rating." CU unidentified state congressman speaking to off-screen reporter: "For six years now I ve been trying my best to reform the insurance industry in Texas and I m delighted to have the governor s assistance after all this time. There s no question that competitive rates is part of the answer. There are other things that need to be done in addition. However, I think we should permit the sale of automobile insurance on a group basis. That one feature alone would reduce rates between 17-30%, saving $200 M a year. It s a bill which I sponsored last year in the Senate, which they passed, but the House killed." MSs state congressmen talking on house floor.