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Senate advances bill to raise minimum auto liability limits after debate on costs and uninsured drivers
Summary
Senators debated SB149, which would raise minimum mandatory automobile liability limits. Supporters said current minimums often fail to cover serious injuries; opponents warned higher minimums could push some drivers to go uninsured. The Senate recorded that SB149 would be read for a third time.
Senators debated SB149, which sponsor Senator Kilbach described as raising the mandatory minimum liability limits for automobile insurance (the sponsor pointed to the changes in lines 34–41 of the bill text).
Senator Knudson asked why the state needed to raise minimum limits and warned such a change could disproportionately affect younger drivers and lower‑income families. "If there isn't a very strong compelling reason to do this, it seems to hit directly those who may have the most difficulty in meeting those requirements, namely your younger drivers, young families," Knudson said.
Senator Davis asked the sponsor for a rough idea of how each $5,000 increment would change premiums; the sponsor said estimates varied by company and risk—"some are saying 4%, some are saying it will be over 10%"—and that much would depend on individual risk profiles.
Senator Jenkins cautioned that many claims are settled within current limits and warned that raising minimums could increase the number of uninsured drivers: "You can do more harm than good by raising it and have more people go uninsured," Jenkins said.
Senator Hilliard, speaking from practical experience, said the current $25,000 minimum often does not cover severe injuries and supports an increase to protect victims.
The sponsor argued that cross‑state comparisons show no simple correlation between minimum limits and uninsured rates and urged colleagues to focus on accountability and options like underinsured motorist coverage.
The Senate called the question and held a roll call on whether SB149 should be read for a third time. The clerk's recording in the transcript is partially garbled; the session record transcribes that SB149 "received 18" (clerk audio fragmented) and that the bill will be read for the third time. The transcript does not present a clear, complete vote tally for all members in audible form.
