New Jersey Legislators Seek To Ban Non-Driving Factors From Auto Policy Underwriting

During a press conference Monday, New Jersey Senate majority leader Terea Ruiz told a joke about her parents to underscore why she thinks car insurance companies shouldn’t be allowed to determine someone’s premium rate based on their education level.

‘The trajectory of their driving was extraordinarily different,’ Ruiz said. ‘My dad, God rest his soul, his driving abilities were great. My mother on the other side, not so much, clearly indicating that just because she had a GED, she wasn’t a better driver than my father was.’

Ruiz, the first Latina to be elected as her caucus’ majority leader, said her mother earned her GED, while her father finished school in the fourth grade.

Democrats in the state Legislature and social justice advocates are calling for legislation making it illegal for car insurance companies to ask a potential customer about their credit score, education level, and occupation when determining insurance premiums.