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- BUSINESS, Page 59Business NotesINSURANCEA Revolt Rolls On
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- When California residents voted to brake the state's
- runaway car-insurance rates last November, alarmed insurers sped
- into court to overturn the referendum. But last week the
- California Supreme Court upheld most of the measure, thus
- increasing the prospect that a revolt against high auto premiums
- could soon spread to other states. In a unanimous decision, the
- seven justices affirmed the major provisions of Proposition 103,
- which slashes car premiums and other types of property and
- casualty rates 20% below the level of November 1987. Good
- drivers will get another 20% off.
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- While the ruling could force firms to give California
- customers up to $4 billion in rebates and rate cuts, few checks
- will go out soon. The reason: the court held that insurers may
- receive exemptions from the rollbacks if they can prove that the
- new rates would be too low to assure a "fair and reasonable"
- profit.
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