State Farm: No new policies in Mississippi

State Farm has announced that it will stop writing new insurance policies for the entire state of Mississippi. One wonders why they will stop doing business in places like Jackson, unless this is supposed to bring some sort of political pressure to bear. Hopefully our free market will sort these guys out (I don't think that was a joke, but I'm not sure):

State Farm: No new policies in Mississippi

I'll also point out that this is the same State Farm that illegally overcharged Texans by hundreds of millions (the number fluctuates depending on the source) . A bit technical, but:

Is the Free Market Working for the Texas Homeowners Insurance Market?

I'll also note that Texas pays on average twice what other US homeowners pay for insurance in a market dominated by State Farm. Even our de-regulating, free-market Republican governor has said it's gone too far:

Gov. Rick Perry Calls for Total Rate Oversight of Homeowners Insurance Industry

A Houston blog covers this with much more gusto than I can summon: http://bayareahouston.blogspot.com/2006/07/tdi-nails-state-farm.html