FROM BUFFALO TO BROOKLYN: OVER 50 FAITH LEADERS SUPPORT AUTO INSURANCE REFORM IN NEW YORK

Faith Leaders Say Soaring Premiums Have Become An “Unjust Burden” On Working Families And Urge Immediate Legislative Action

ALBANY – Following the recent endorsement from the Reverend Al Sharpton, Citizens for Affordable Rates today announced strong and growing support from more than 50 faith leaders across New York State for Governor Kathy Hochul’s plan to reform New York’s auto insurance system and lower costs for drivers.

In a joint letter sent to members of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, clergy and faith leaders representing congregations from Buffalo to Brooklyn urged lawmakers to take action to address this “unjust burden” on working families.

With average full-coverage auto insurance premiums in New York now exceeding $4,000 annually – nearly double the national average – faith leaders say the crisis is harming the very communities they serve.

“Every day, we witness the moral consequences of an affordability crisis that forces families to make impossible choices,” the letter states. “When premiums soar, they take money away from rent, groceries, childcare, and healthcare. Transportation is not a luxury for working New Yorkers, but a necessity for employment, caregiving, and community life,” the leaders wrote.

The faith coalition voiced strong support for Governor Hochul’s plan to crack down on organized auto insurance fraud, including staged crashes and other schemes that inflate costs for honest drivers.

“Staged accidents put innocent drivers at risk, clog our courts, and inflate costs for everyone who plays by the rules,” the leaders wrote. “The financial burden of this fraud is ultimately borne by working families who can least afford it.”

The letter also highlights the disproportionate impact of high premiums on Black communities, immigrant neighborhoods, and low-income households – particularly in areas of Brooklyn, where some drivers pay up to $7,000 for car insurance.

“New Yorkers cannot afford inaction,” the letter concludes. “We urge the Legislature to stand with Governor Hochul and the millions of New Yorkers who need relief now.”

Below is the full text of the letter:

March 5, 2026

Members of the New York State Senate
Legislative Office Building
188 State Street
Albany, NY 12247

Members of the New York State Assembly
Legislative Office Building
198 State Street
Albany, NY 12248

Dear Senators and Assemblymembers,

As faith leaders serving congregations and communities across New York State, we write with a clear and urgent message: the cost of auto insurance has become an unjust burden on the people we serve, and meaningful reform can no longer wait.

Every day, we witness the moral consequences of an affordability crisis that forces families to make impossible choices. With New York’s average full-coverage auto insurance premiums now exceeding $4,000 annually – nearly $1,500 above the national average – these costs are no longer a mere inconvenience; they are a barrier to survival.

When premiums soar, they take money away from rent, groceries, childcare, and healthcare. Transportation is not a luxury for working New Yorkers, but a necessity for employment, caregiving, and community life.

Governor Kathy Hochul’s current proposal to reform New York’s broken auto insurance system represents a long-overdue step toward justice and fairness. By cracking down on the tens of thousands of suspected fraud incidents reported each year – including staged car crashes and other schemes orchestrated by organized criminal rings – and by closing legal loopholes that allow these abuses to flourish, the Governor’s plan addresses the root causes that have driven premiums out of control.

Staged accidents put innocent drivers at risk, clog our courts, and inflate costs for everyone who plays by the rules. The financial burden of this fraud is ultimately borne by working families who can least afford it.

We support the push to target organized fraud, modernize legal standards, and restore accountability so that insurance costs can finally come down for drivers and passengers alike.

This crisis does not fall evenly. We see its impact most acutely in Black communities, immigrant neighborhoods, and low-income households, where families in some parts of Brooklyn, for example, can pay up to four times the national average. For many of our parishioners and community members, these costs function as a “hidden tax” on opportunity, limiting economic mobility and trapping families in cycles of debt.

Scripture and our shared moral traditions call us to stand with those being harmed by unjust systems and to speak out. An insurance system that allows fraud and abuse to prosper at the expense of honest, hardworking families violates the core principle of caring for our neighbors.

We urge the New York State Legislature to stand with Governor Hochul and the millions of New Yorkers who need relief now.

New Yorkers cannot afford inaction. We call on you to support car insurance reform and help deliver the relief our communities desperately need.

Sincerely,

Faith Leaders in Support of Legislative Action

  1. Rev. Marvin Abrams, United Missionary Baptist Church, Brooklyn.

  2. Rev. Ayana Ajanaku-Vason, Ebenezer Christian Center Ministry, Brooklyn.

  3. Bishop Dr. Bernard Alex, Victory Temple Fellowship, Syracuse.

  4. Dr. Cheryl Anthony, Judah International Christian Center, Brooklyn.

  5. Dr. Cheryl Barker, Consuming Fire Ministries, Brooklyn.

  6. Rev. Mark Blue, Second Baptist Church of Lackawanna, Buffalo.

  7. Rev. Frank Bostic, Pastor of Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, Buffalo, NY; Vice President at Large of the Empire Baptist Missionary State Convention of New York.

  8. Rev. Dr. Victor Brown, Mount Sinai United Christian Church, Staten Island.

  9. Rev. Larry W. Camp, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Brooklyn.

  10. Rev. Dr. Joseph Chukwu, Helping Hands Ministries, Brooklyn.

  11. Bishop Ismael Claudio, Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ, Brooklyn.

  12. Rev. Alfred Cockfield II, Chief Operating Officer of God’s Battalion of Prayer Ministries, Brooklyn.

  13. Apostle Dr. Garney Davis Jr., Impacting Love Global Ministries.

  14. Bishop Ronald Dewberry, New Life Temple of Praise, Syracuse.

  15. Bishop Orlando Findlayter, New Hope Christian Fellowship, Brooklyn.

  16. Rev. Dr. Miles Fisher, Galilee Baptist Church, Brooklyn.

  17. Bishop Winifred C. Freeman, Presiding Prelate of the Faith Holiness Church of the First Bishop, Brooklyn.

  18. Rev. Dwayne R. Gillison Sr., Mount Olive Baptist Church.

  19. Rev. Charles O. Galbreath, Senior Pastor of Alliance Tabernacle, Brooklyn.

  20. Pastor James Giles, Back to Basics Ministry.

  21. Rev. Carlos Haynes, Faith Assemblies of God, Brooklyn.

  22. Bishop Dr. Allen K. Hand, Sr., Trinity Community Missionary Baptist Church, Brooklyn.

  23. Pastor Dr. Loretta W. Hand, Trinity Community Missionary Baptist Church, Brooklyn.

  24. Minister Murray Hollman, Good Shepherd Temple, Buffalo, NY.

  25. Kyran Leo John, Rogers Avenue SDA Church, Brooklyn.

  26. Ronald John, Assistant Pastor, Faith of Assemblies of God Church, Brooklyn.

  27. Rev. Eddie Karim, Bright Light Baptist Church, Brooklyn.

  28. Rev. Julien Leblanc, Good Hope Fellowship, Brooklyn.

  29. Rev. Terry Lee, Byways and Hedges Ministry, Brooklyn.

  30. Rev. Dr. James A. Lewis III, Senior Pastor of Miracle Missions Full Gospel Church, Buffalo.

  31. Minister Patricia Malcolm, Pastor of Pathway to Life Ministries; President, Churches United to Save and Heal (CUSH), Brooklyn.

  32. Rev. Pierre Michel, Jr., The Vine Church, Huntington.

  33. Pastor Eulalee Mighty, Global Care Outreach Ministries, Brooklyn.

  34. Pastor Edgerton Mighty, Global Care Outreach Ministries, Brooklyn.

  35. Rev. Dr. Gilford Monrose, Mt. Zion Church of God 7th Day, Brooklyn.

  36. Pastor Tim Newkirk, GYC Ministries, Inc.

  37. Pastor George Nicholas, Buffalo; CEO, Buffalo Center for Health Equity.

  38. David Olatona, Senior Pastor, Balanced Life Christian Center and Dominion Faith International Church, Mt. Vernon.

  39. Pastor James Osi-Kofi, Bethesda Healing Center, Brooklyn.

  40. Bishop Darius Pridgen, Senior Servant of True Bethel Baptist Church, Buffalo, NY.

  41. Aymanuel Radford, Minister, New Hope COGBF, Buffalo.

  42. Tuulikki Robertson, Executive Director, The Black Institute.

  43. Rev. Jean Roper, Bible Vision Church of God, Brooklyn.

  44. Rev. Akin O. Royall, Bethel Baptist Church; New York Progressive Baptist Convention.

  45. Rev. Kenneth Simmons, Pastor of Cold Spring Bible Chapel, Buffalo.

  46. Rev. Conrad B. Tillard Sr., Senior Minister, Congregational Church of South Hempstead.

  47. Rev. Dr. Mark VC Taylor, The Church of the Open Door, Brooklyn.

  48. Rev. Dr. Robert M. Waterman, Senior Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church, Brooklyn; President of the African American Clergy and Elected Officials (AACEO).

  49. Pastor Shirley Walker, Lexington Avenue Church of God, Brooklyn.

  50. Rev. Bruce West, Brooklyn.

  51. Minister John Williams, New Creations Ministries, Brooklyn.

  52. Rev. Ulysees O. Wingo, Sr., Senior Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church, Buffalo.