Bogalusa Rep. Malina White
An estimated 13% of Louisiana motorists are uninsured, and a Bogalusa Representative says increasing the minimum wage would lower that number.
The business lobby has never been a fan of raising the minimum, but Representative Malinda White says if the working poor got a living wage they could afford insurance, lowering rates for everyone.
“I really do believe that we will find a balance that will find us saving money in different ways to justify lifting people out of poverty,” said White.
Tort reform advocates say recently passed legislation will lower rates by 10-15 percent, but if that number holds up Louisiana would still rank among the highest rates in the nation.
White says many workers don’t make enough money to both keep a roof over their heads and pay for auto insurance, so they go uninsured. She says that leads to a vicious cycle when they get caught.
“They take your license and they charge a lot of fees, and I have had people reach out to me and say the fees are worth more than the car is worth and there is no way they can catch a break,” said White.
White says the state’s high number of uninsured motorists is directly linked to our low wages, which results in some of the nation’s highest auto insurance rates.
“Everything relates, it is all relatable,” said White.
Comments