SACRAMENTO WATCH : To Their Credit

Some members of the Legislature have begun the process of repairing the damage done by former state Sen. Alan Robbins, who resigned in disgrace in November after admitting he took bribes.

One of the first bribes Robbins accepted was in 1985, and involved his effort to push through a bill that stripped the state Insurance Commissioner’s office of the power to regulate a little known--but very profitable--form of insurance known as credit life and disability.

Credit insurance is usually sold to people who buy something expensive, like a car or major appliance. Their policy is designed to pay off the large debt if the customer dies or becomes disabled. But consumer groups, and Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi, believe most credit insurance is grossly overpriced because it is unregulated.

Last year state Assemblyman Lloyd G. Connelly (D-Sacramento) sponsored a bill that would have revoked Robbins’ 1985 legislation and brought credit insurance back under tighter regulation. It was blocked in the Senate, however, by You-Know-Who.

Now, with Robbins back in Los Angeles and facing time in jail, Connelly’s bill has been reintroduced as AB 2107. Today it is expected to be taken up by the Senate committee that handles insurance issues. That should be the first step toward easy enactment.

If it isn’t, the FBI agents who finally nailed Robbins on corruption charges better start digging around again. Rarely does government get such a clear opportunity to right a wrong done by a corrupt official.