I just received an email from Alex Winslow at Texas Watch saying that TDI will have a public hearing on the binding pre-dispute arbitration clause. The hearing will be on July 6th. Here is the official posting and here is the proposed language from the Texas Farm Bureau Insurance proposed policy.
The release of the language (which Texas Farm Bureau fought for weeks) and the announcement of a rare public hearing by TDI is evidence that organizations like Texas Watch, and people like me and you, are having an impact. Alex Winslow said:
If we had not learned of this through the grapevine and become the skunk at the garden party, this provision would likely have already been approved.
We’re not sitting on our laurels, though. We continue to reach out to media at the state and national levels. The Dallas Morning News is weighing in. This column appeared in the Sunday editions.
http://www.dallasnews.com/investigations/watchdog/20160610-watchdogwould-you-give-up-your-rights-for-an-insurance-discount.ece. And, ICYMI… here’s the story from the Austin paper: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/business/consumer-groups-oppose-insurance-companys-push-for/nrTtT/We are also engaging national coalition partners who have been successfully fighting arbitration at the federal level. And we are engaging our grassroots – over 1,200 people have sent messages to TDI opposing this proposal.
If you haven’t already shared our petition, please do so. Here’s the link: http://www.texaswatch.org/ngpform/dont-mess-texas-policyholders.
Now is the time to get your clients, customers, friends, and anyone you know in the state house involved (in an organized way) to let TDI know how terrible this provision will be for Texas policyholders.
