INSURANCE

Voter Revolt Appeals Prop. 103 Ruling: Voter Revolt, the organization that spearheaded the Proposition 103 insurance rollback initiative, asked the California Supreme Court to reverse a Los Angeles Superior Court ruling that struck down Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi’s plan for implementing the 1988 initiative. In her Feb. 26 ruling, Superior Court Judge Dzintra I. Janavs ruled that Garamendi lacked the authority to limit all insurers to a 10% maximum rate of return, which was the basis for his order that insurers return to policyholders some $2.5 billion in rebates and interest. Edward Howard, a lawyer for the group, accused Janavs of substituting her own judgment on rates for that of the elected commissioner. Voter Revolt believes the commissioner’s entire rate-making authority is at stake. The Insurance Department plans to file its own appeal next week, a spokesman said.