Scooting around town just got more expensive for some of Madisonâ??s most cash-strapped motorists â?? or maybe their parents. Wisconsin this week officially became the 49th state to require auto insurance for its drivers, leaving New Hampshire as the only state sticking to a live-free-or-die philosophy on its roads. But the law also requires scooters or mopeds to carry the same level of insurance as any other vehicle, according to officials with the state Commissioner of Insurance and the Legislative Fiscal Bureau: a minimum liability of $50,000 per person, $100,000 per crash and $15,000 for property damage. That means hundreds of college students will have to pony up for what has long been an inexpensive ride, something state Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, contends was never the Legislatureâ??s intent.
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