IL House speaker signals insurance regulation described as ‘ill-advised’

(The Center Square) – The speaker of the Illinois House is signaling that insurance regulation will be a priority for state lawmakers when the General Assembly reconvenes later this month.

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, was asked about the upcoming legislative session when he addressed the City Club of Chicago on Tuesday.

“Everything is going to come down around affordability issues. I think folks are concerned about their homeowners insurance, their car insurance. Anybody happy about their car insurance?” Welch asked.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has proposed banning auto insurers from using age, credit scores or zip codes to determine rates. The secretary’s Driving Change campaign featured eight virtual town hall meetings geared toward large metropolitan areas around the state.

Giannoulias also pushed for car insurance regulation when he visited several Chicago churches one Sunday last November.

“We’re going t...