Metro East Sun

State Rep. David Friess (R-Red Bud) is sounding the alarm about a bill he predicts will mean higher rates for anyone with liability insurance if the measure becomes law.

“If this bill is signed into law, and you have insurance that contains a liability component, i.e. car insurance, homeowners insurance, renters insurance, medical malpractice insurance, etc., your rates will go up,” Friess posted on Facebook of Senate Bill 72. “This bill increases the value of a plaintiff’s case, which increases the settlement value. As such, insurance companies will pay more to settle law suits and, in turn, will raise your rates.”

Just last month, class actions lawsuits were filed in Nevada against 10 of the country’s largest insurance companies alleging that they charged excessive insurance premiums during the lingering COVID-19 pandemic by failing to account for a drop in driving and crashes.

While the suit acknowledges that some insurers provided discounts, attorneys for the plaintiffs added that the discounts did not offer “any meaningful relief that actually reflects the reduction in cars on the road and reduced driving during the pandemic.”

Friess worries SB 72 only figures to spell more trouble for cash-strapped Illinois.

“Virtually every citizen and business will feel the effects of this bill,” he said. “80,000 people fled our state in 2020 because of high taxes and hostile business environment. SB 72 is another nail in the coffin for Illinois.”

Serving his first-term in the 116th District, Friess knocked Democratic incumbent Nathan Reitz in November with nearly 65% of the vote.

A veteran of the Air Force who served during Desert Storm, Friess ran on a platform of lower taxes, more jobs, less spending, term limits and as a Second Amendment rights advocate.