Though the legislature and Governor John Bel Edwards are not always on the same page when it comes to legislative priorities each session, it appears that two years of challenges like natural disasters and COVID-19 have exposed common ground.
One legislative focus point statewide is to provide better protection for residents in the wake of natural disasters and the insurance fights that follow.
”It’s not like Louisiana has a storm once every hundred years,” said Sen. Louie Bernard. “We go through this every year. So, by now, we ought to have a lot of these things remedied.”
Many Louisiana residents are still going through the rebuilding process two years after Hurricane Laura and nine months after Hurricane Ida. With no additional federal disaster aid in the 2022 Federal Appropriations Bill, there are still an estimated $2 billion in unmet needs for 2020-2022 storms, including the February 2021 ice storm, which devastated several Central Louisiana nurseries. So far, the state has only received $600 million in aid for Hurricane Laura recovery efforts.
Regardless of party lines, legislators want to hold insurance companies accountable.
District 29 Sen. Jay Luneau has filed one bill aimed at insurance adjusters. Luneau recalled one case where his client had 22 different adjusters from all over the country for one claim. So, if an individual wants to argue a claim in court, it can be a very costly process.
”I have a bill that says, ‘If an insurance company uses an out-of-state adjuster, that they have to provide that person in Louisiana to give the deposition and to testify at trial,’” said Luneau. “So, it’s a fairness issue. So, if the insurance company, I’m not saying can’t use out-of-state adjusters. We would much rather they use people that are employed inside the state of Louisiana. They did that for decades and all of a sudden they’re not doing it anymore. But, hopefully, this bill will encourage them to do that, and if not, then they, the person making the claim for their home, won’t have to bear the cost of doing all of that.”
District 19 Sen. Gary Smith filed a bill to require one insurance claim to be handled by a maximum of three adjusters.
There are concerns, however, that implementing too many regulations on insurance companies will dissuade them from doing business in the state. So, the legislature will have to strike the right balance to ensure that does not happen.
In addition to insurance reform, legislators from every region of the state are fighting to receive funds for infrastructure projects in their districts.