Government & Legal Update

Please join me in thanking the following members for serving on the Government Affairs Committee for 2023. The committee meets periodically throughout the year and more frequently during the legislative session to discuss bills that potentially impact independent agents, agencies, and the industry. Access to their expertise and guidance is critical to our efforts on Capitol Hill. Many ideas sound good in theory or on paper, but how they impact agents and agencies on a practical level is what matters most. Delivering that message to legislators is paramount, and we certainly could not do it without their counsel and engagement.

Bob McIntire, Insurance Inc. (Cleveland) – Chairman

Arch Trimble, RSS Insurance (Chattanooga)

Lou Moran III, Inter-Agency Insurance Services (Knoxville)

Chris Allison, The Allison Insurance Group (Jackson)

Portis Tanner, Westan Insurance Group (Union City)

Kevin Ownby, Ownby Insurance (Sevierville)

Your voice matters most. I say it often, but it bears repeating: the biggest strength of the Insurors is YOU. If you do not have a relationship with your state senator and representative, it is never too late to start. The General Assembly maintains a user-friendly tool to get you started—all you need is your address. Go to https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/Apps/fml2022/lookup.aspx to find your state legislators. If you need any help (or prodding) to get the conversation started, please reach out to me or any member of the Insurors Government Affairs Committee for ideas and talking points on timely and relevant issues. Further, it’s always beneficial to start the dialogue before you have “an ask” on specific legislation. So, the earlier the better. Regardless, always remember that the right voice “from back home” is more impactful than a bus load of lobbyists.

About the Author—Trey Moore is the government and legal consultant for Insurors. He operates Trey Moore Consulting in Nashville and formerly served as senior public policy counsel for one of Nashville’s largest law firms. Trey has over a decade of experience in representing clients before the Tennessee General Assembly and state government. u continued from page 26