When it comes to outlandish trends and popular revolutions, California often sets the agenda for the rest of the U.S. The 1978 passage of the state's Proposition 13, which slashed property taxes by nearly 60%, sparked a nationwide taxpayer rebellion. Now Californians may be in the vanguard once again. A powerful grass-roots revolt against painfully high car-insurance rates is roiling the state where people live to drive.
California's car-insurance rates are the third highest in the U.S., trailing only New Jersey's and Alaska's, according to A.M. Best, an industry research firm. (The company cautions that it is difficult to compare rates...