The bill, approved by state lawmakers in March, would allow insurance companies to raise their rates on some drivers without the approval of state regulators.

The companies wasted no time in acting.

State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine says 30 rate increases are now pending. In some cases the increases could mean a 60% rate increase for some drivers.

Insurers had tried, unsuccessfully , for years to get the bill passed, arguing they needed the flexibility to raise rates quickly.

But, 2008 was different.

House Insurance Chairman Tom Know (R-Cumming) tacked the bill on to Senate Bill 276, while it was in a House subcommittee. The legislation passed through both houses in a single day, with little discussion.

The Governor has not said whether he will sign the bill. After it passed in March, Governor Perdue said he had "some concerns based on what I hear, and we'll look at it very carefully."

May 1, 2008