The U.S. Supreme Court case German Alliance Insurance Company v. Lewis, Superintendent of Insurance of the State of Kansas in 1913 revolved around a dispute over state regulation of insurance rates. The German Alliance Insurance Company challenged a Kansas law that allowed the state's superintendent to set maximum and minimum insurance rates, arguing it violated their Fourteenth Amendment rights by depriving them property without due process and equal protection under the laws. However, the court upheld this law as constitutional on grounds that insurance is not commerce but rather a contract between parties within individual states; therefore, it falls under each state’s police power to regulate for public welfare purposes including preventing discrimination or unfair practices in setting premiums or benefits. This decision affirmed states' authority to regulate businesses operating within their borders when such regulation serves public interest.

In the dissenting opinion for German Alliance Insurance Company v. Lewis, it was argued that the Kansas statute in question did not violate due process rights under the Fourteenth Amendment. The dissenters believed that insurance companies operating within a state should be subject to its laws and regulations, including those related to rate-setting. They contended that states have a legitimate interest in protecting their citizens from excessive or discriminatory rates set by insurance companies, which can wield significant power over consumers due to their size and influence. Furthermore, they disagreed with the majority's interpretation of "due process," arguing instead for a broader understanding of this constitutional principle as encompassing more than just procedural fairness; rather, it also includes substantive protections against arbitrary government action. In this view, regulating insurance rates does not constitute an arbitrary interference with private business but is instead a reasonable exercise of state police powers aimed at promoting public welfare.