Thursday, May 17th, 2007 — Insurance industry associations are criticizing Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire for signing into law the Insurance Fair Conduct Act, a measure they say will raise insurance costs for consumers. According to the American Insurance Association, National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies and the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, Senate Bill 5726 will encourage lawsuits by plaintiff attorneys, and lead to a backlog in the court system.