This episode of the series “Louisiana Public Square” from September 28, 2011, features Robert Travis Scott leading a discussion between the audience members and panelists on Louisiana’s high homeowners insurance and automobile insurance rates. A background report on the topic precedes the discussion. It includes interviews with: Tim Borel, a New Iberia resident; Gene Galligan, the president of the Professional Insurance Agents of Louisiana; Darrel Papillion, an attorney in Baton Rouge; Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon; and Michael Olivier of the Committee of 100 for Economic Development. The audience members then discuss their personal experiences with high insurance rates. A panel of experts then joins the audience to answer their questions. The panelists are: Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon; Dr. Christine Berry, the director of the Insurance Studies Program at the University of Louisiana at Monroe; Robert Kleinpeter, an attorney and member of the Louisiana Association for Justice; and Robert Page, an insurance agent in Houma and a member of the Professional Insurance Agents of Louisiana. They discuss: the impact of fraud, the state’s new building codes, litigation, and the threat of hurricanes on insurance rates; the importance of competition and shopping around to find the best rate; and what the state can do to help lower rates. Hosts: Beth Courtney and Robert Travis Scott
