Save the Date - Oct. 21-24, 2023 - Insurefest

It is difficult to believe we are already nearing the halfway point of 2023. As is often the case in the first and second quarters of the year for the association, we spent quite a bit of time and effort on legislative affairs and advocacy work at both the state and national levels. This year was no different.

In the Tennessee General Assembly, there were over 1,400 bills introduced for consideration this year. Admittedly, many of them did not intersect with areas where the insurance industry had an interest. However, there were several legislative matters we needed to weigh in on to make sure the insurance industry did not suffer collateral damage or unintended consequences from the legislation. We also advocated for legislative measures that were in the best interests of the industry and independent insurance agents across Tennessee. Trey Moore will provide more insight into the details of this session in an article he is preparing for this edition of the Tennessee Insuror. Thank you to all who worked on legislative affairs and advocacy efforts related to this session of the General Assembly.

As most of you know, Governor Bill Lee has called for a special session to be held in August to address public safety as it relates to gun violence. We are not expecting insurance-related measures to be part of this special session. However, we will be following the proceedings in the event any issues arise. One of the most fundamental parts of effective legislative affairs work is to always be watchful and engaged. In the arena of governmental affairs at any level, unfortunate outcomes are the result of complacency and lack of attention to detail. So, we will be paying attention in August during the special session.

In the last week of April, we traveled to Washington, D.C. with a total of 14 members of the Insurors of Tennessee to participate in the Big I Legislative Conference attending briefings, education sessions and gatherings to share our input and concerns relative to legislation being considered in Congress. We were pleased to have members of the Young Agents join the delegation to gain exposure and understanding about government at the Federal level and the advocacy process as it relates to the nation’s Capitol. We were pleased to be able to meet with both of our United States Senators and eight of nine members of U.S. House of Representatives representing districts in Tennessee. The meetings with our elected leaders and their staff were insightful, informative, and productive. We were able to share our input and concerns with each office and will be tracking legislation on Capitol Hill along with our partners at the Big I to measure the results of our meetings.

While on the subject of governmental affairs, since next year is an election year now is a good time to begin building our InsurpacTN and InsurPac financial resources. Now more than ever, we need to be able to support the campaigns of quality candidates who will hear our concerns and be receptive to meeting with us to discuss pending legislation. You can learn more and make those contributions by going to the Insurors of Tennessee website at https:// www.insurors.org/donate-to-insurpactn/ where you can find guidance about making a contribution. Alternatively, you can contact the Insurors of Tennessee office by phone if you prefer and ask to speak with Jake Smith.

Moving on to things not having to do with government, we are now working on the details of putting on an exceptional InsureFest annual conference in Knoxville this year worthy of celebrating the 130th anniversary of this association. Be sure to save the date for October 21-24, 2023 and make your plans to attend. We will be providing you with more details in the coming weeks and months. I often wonder about what those folks from that first convention would think about where we are today as an association and how the insurance industry has changed. I am sure they would be astonished at the size and sophistication of our industry. I am sure the technology we employ today alone, as it relates to our industry, would be mind blowing for those folks. One thing is for certain, the success of this organization has been built on the shoulders of generations of insurance professionals in Tennessee. We continue that effort today through the dedication and hard work of the members of our Board of Directors, staff, corporate partners and our members. Thank you to you all and we look forward to seeing you in Knoxville this Fall.

As a friendly reminder, we are seeking new members and partners to join the association. As part of our 30 on our 130th Anniversary initiative, we are seeking to add 30 new members by the end of 2023. If you know of an agency or company that is not currently a member, please invite them to join via the website at www.insurors.org under the Membership tab or have them contact Jake Smith at the Insurors of Tennessee office. We know there are agencies and companies out there who are not yet members, let’s welcome them into the family this year. We look forward to hearing from your referrals soon!