SOUTHLAND

Rebate Battle Still Raging: California Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush, embroiled in a struggle that also consumed two of his predecessors, expects a ruling “soon” on the Proposition 103 rebate--if any--owed by State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. State Farm, California’s largest insurer, is also the most prominent of the 78 carriers still refusing to pay rebates under the 1988 insurance rate rollback initiative. Quackenbush last week announced settlements with 11 small insurers, which agreed to pay a total of $10.3 million to customers. Quackenbush says State Farm owes $229 million; State Farm says it owes zero. An administrative law judge recently concluded lengthy hearings on the matter. The Legislature has authorized Quackenbush to spend up to $9.4 million more to conduct similar hearings on the other 77 holdouts.