Sacramento Blogs

Allstate Insurance Co. and Allstate Indemnity Co.’s auto insurance rates will be cut by 15.9 percent effective as of April 14.

The auto insurer reduced rates after negotiations with the California Department of Insurance. The department in the past year has approved rate reductions from other insurers including Geico and AAA. The state has until July 2008 to implement Proposition 103, an insurance rate slashing ballot initiative passed by California voters in 1988. Its passage sparked more nearly two decades of legal and political battles between the insurance industry and California consumer groups.  Under the old regulations, rates were heavily influenced by other factors, such as marital status, gender and zip code, which some consumer advocates said discriminated against drivers in rural and inner city areas. Under the new regulations, rates will be based primarily on three factors: Driving record, number of miles driven, and years of driving experience.

The Allstate reduction is about $124 per customer, and will amount to almost $245 million statewide. The auto insurer initially requested no rate reduction, but an administrative law judge held that Allstate’s rates were excessive.

Allstate Indemnity Insurance is the fifth largest auto insurer in California, while Allstate Insurance is the ninth largest insurer.

Aloha Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have both raised their round trip airfares for flights between Hawaii and Sacramento by $30 to offset the rising costs of fuel and operations. Hawaiian’s increase in its airfares is effective for travel starting on or after May 1. Hawaiian flies daily between Sacramento International Airport and Honolulu, with connecting service to other destinations.

Aloha said it also would increase its fares effective immediately. Aloha flies to Maui from Sacramento International.

Donahue Schriber, a  shopping center owner and developer,  has purchased Gold River Centre — anchored by Bel Air Market and Rite Aid — from the Powell Family Trust.  Robert Powell, who died in 2007, developed the fully leased shopping center on Sunrise at Gold Country boulevards in Gold River. Donahue Schriber did not disclose the purchase price of the center.

The purchase of Gold River Centre brings Donahue Schriber up to 24 shopping centers in the four-county Sacramento region. Overall, Donahue Schriber has 93 shopping centers operating or under development in California, Nevada, Arizona and Oregon.