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| Auto body work can be dirty business |
By Will Collette
UPDATE: according to GoLocalProv, Governor Lincoln Chafee announced last Monday night, June 25, that he will veto this bill.
One of the bills that slid through the General Assembly in the wee hours of morning as they were heading to adjournment was a bill, H-7822A, that gives auto body shops the OK to sue insurance companies if the repair shops believe the insurance company isn’t paying enough for auto body work.
One of the bills that slid through the General Assembly in the wee hours of morning as they were heading to adjournment was a bill, H-7822A, that gives auto body shops the OK to sue insurance companies if the repair shops believe the insurance company isn’t paying enough for auto body work.
Well, I’m no fan of auto insurance companies (I think most
are blood-suckers, frankly), but neither am I a big fan of auto body companies.
And this bill had one additional major problem – cronyism- that
led to three courageous legislators to vote NO to sending it to the House floor
(our own Rep. Donna Walsh and Rep. Teresa Tanzi were two of those three).
The bill was pushed by Rep. Peter Petrarca whose family owns
Providence Auto Body. Petrarca’s father John Petrarca is president of the lobby
group, the Auto Body Association of Rhode Island.
Petrarca himself abstained from voting – a nice touch – but
State House observers say Petrarca called in a lot of favors and pushed a lot
of buttons to ensure this bill’s passage. While his family claimed the bill
will cost insured drivers nothing, GoLocalProv reported that this bill might add an additional $160 per year in premiums to the average
driver.
Rhode Island-based AMICA insurance is alerting its policy
holders and asking them to contact Governor Lincoln Chafee to urge him to veto
H-7822A. They offer more information at RI Auto
Body Choice. The number for the Governor’s office is 222-2080 or send an
email to Governor@governor.ri.gov.
Again, while I am no fan of either auto insurance companies
or auto body shops, I am also opposed to sleaze. Pushing for a veto by the
Governor seems to me like a good idea and a way to send the anti-sleaze message
to Smith Hill.
