From Your President

Norfleet Anthony, III presented by

While You May Not Always See It There Is Much Work Being Done

Since this issue of the Tennessee Insuror magazine focuses on the advocacy and government relations work of the association at the state level in Nashville and the national level in Washington D.C., I want to take this opportunity to emphasize the critical nature of this work that often goes on quietly throughout the year but becomes more noteworthy when the legislative bodies are in session and during election years.

A good analogy might be the ducks that gracefully glide across the waters of Reelfoot Lake here in West Tennessee. While they serenely pass across the water, they are vigorously paddling under the water’s surface to keep moving towards their destination. While you may not always see it, there is much work being done.

At the state level, the Tennessee General Assembly is nearing the end of its session this year as this column is being written. Your Insurors of Tennessee Government Affairs Consultant, Trey Moore and members of the Government Affairs Committee have been actively tracking and following bills since the first day of the General Assembly that convened on January 11, 2022. We always work to keep you updated about what you need to know along the way and on occasion issue a call to action to contact your elected representatives. This year the legislature did not propose any major bills of concern relative to our business. It is important to note that historically that has not always been the case. For many years, we held a “Day on the Hill” event for our members to meet with their elected leaders to discuss matters important to the association and to the individual members. Since the start of the pandemic, these types of events have not been held in the interest of safety. We hope to be able to resume this event in 2023. This year we were able to hold a legislative reception at the Insurors of Tennessee offices and we have been meeting with and communicating with elected leaders in the Tennessee General Assembly as needed. Trey Moore’s column provides more insight into the specifics about this session. Please be sure to give it read.

As you all know, 2022 is an election year. As such, we need to make sure we raise enough money to be able to contribute to candidates running for office across the state worthy of our support. If you have not already contributed to InsurPACTN, please consider doing so at your first opportunity. Please contact the Insurors of Tennessee office for details.

At the national level, a contingent of members from the Insurors of Tennessee went to Washington D.C. to attend the Big I Legislative Conference held April 27-29, 2022, to participate in several sessions and to meet with Tennessee’s Congressional delegation to discuss matters important to the Big I and the Insurors of Tennessee at the national level. We will provide you with more information about this important meeting in the next issue of the Tennessee Insuror. I recall travelling to Washington D.C. with my father when he was President of this association to attend a “Big I Legislative Conference back in the day. As a young man, I was just trying to take it all in and learn from my time in the nation’s capital. One thing I did learn as someone just getting started in the insurance industry was that the insurance business is large and complex and is very much tied to what happens in the halls of Congress and at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. That notion is certainly important today.

The size, scope and tenor of today’s Big I Legislative Conferences are certainly different from those in the past. I remember my dad and his contemporaries telling the story of how they hunted quail in West Tennessee and froze them in ice chests. They flew to Washington with the ice chests in tow. The quail were the featured dish at a cookout for members of the Tennessee Congressional delegation. The story goes a good time was had by all at the cookout, and it was a great opportunity to gather with elected leaders.

It seems I am ending this article as started with a reference to birds. Perhaps it is because West Tennessee is known for its native bird populations and for being on migratory routes of many birds.

Finally, I want to thank Trey Moore, Lou Moran and the members of the Insurors of Tennessee Government Affairs committee for the work they do to provide overwatch relative to government affairs in Nashville and Washington. u