The report says:
"Savings in 2006 Rates
• Primarily due to the reforms, it is projected that the approved insurance rates have decreased by 46% (from average rates of $4.81 per hundred dollars of payroll to $2.59 from July 1, 2003 to January 1, 2006 (a three year period). Rates are now below where they were in 1996. These rates have been adjusted for changes in the mix of payroll by industry."
Employers contribute to candidates, vote, plan for expansions and, recently, move to more business friendly states based on the cost of their premiums, not the rates projected.
The report appears a Wilsonegger hype in an election year designed for consumption by those in the electorate who don't operate businesses and have little knowledge of current WC premium quotes which are not 50% lower than one or two or three years ago.
For anyone who wants the answers, they're out there. Put on a comfortable pair of shoes, drive to the nearest business district, walk from business to business and inquire about WC premiums. Information will flow freely and accurately. For many it's the difference between occupancy and profit at their store.