Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry recently welcomed the auto carrier General Motors National Insurance Company to the state. In a statement, Gov. Landry described the development as a “new milestone in affordable, consumer-focused auto coverage for the state’s drivers.”
But as Louisiana Public Radio reports, Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple released a statement of his own, in which he pointed out that GM Insurance has held a certificate to operate in Louisiana since 2006 and that its affiliated agency has been licensed as a producer since 2019.
Landry said the carrier’s entry is a result of insurance reform passed in this year’s legislative session. In the news release Landry declared, “General Motors Insurance coming to Louisiana is a testament to the work we accomplished this legislative session to bring about real insurance reform.”
But Temple says the carrier applied for approval of their new telematics-based auto insurance back in December. This kind of coverage, or “product,” is based on vehicle usage. Temple explained, “Their entry in Louisiana occurred prior to the 2025 legislative session and was therefore independent of subsequent tort insurance reform discussions.”
GM’s new insurance option, which went into effect this month, uses that in-vehicle technology in GM models from 2016 to the present.
This back and forth between Louisiana’s governor and insurance commissioner becomes just the latest clash in a growing rift between the two fellow Republicans. Their dispute first became public in April when Temple claimed the governor had refused to speak to him about the state’s insurance crisis for nearly a year. Landry denied that claim. It came ahead of the 2025 legislative session and the clash between the two on how best to lower auto insurance coverage rates.
