Layman's Terms

Layman's Terms Advocacy Update: Initial Election Results and Impacts

Insurors Director of Government Relations, Jim Layman, J.D., breaks down the legal and legislative issues facing our industry.

Election Day was Tuesday, November 3, and despite a tight race and ongoing recounts and legal challenges, the major news networks have projected that former Vice President Joe Biden is now President-Elect. Although that was the national result, in Tennessee President Trump won handily and by nearly the same margin as he did in 2016, despite increased voter turnout and polling suggesting the margin would be trimmed.

In the race to replace long-time U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, Republican Bill Hagerty easily defeated Democrat Marquita Bradshaw with 62% of the vote. In the U.S. House, all 8 incumbents kept their seats, and Republican Diana Harshbarger won election to the District 1 seat in Northeast Tennessee to replace retiring Rep. Phil Roe.

InsurPac National disbursed $1.95 million in 254 races this election cycle and have had a 93% victory rate in the races that have been called.

Election Day was also a good one for candidates supported by InsurPACTN, as we saw 100% of candidates that we supported get elected. Thank you again to all those that contributed and all those that volunteered and voted.

In the State Legislature, party makeup has changed very little as the Democrats picked up one seat in the State Senate and there was no change in the House.

Democrat Heidi Campbell narrowly defeated incumbent Dr. Steve Dickerson to win his Nashville Senate seat. The Senate also welcomes Republican Page Walley (R-Bolivar) who is replacing former Sen. Dolores Gresham.

In the State House, the chamber will welcome three new Republicans from northeast Tennessee; they are Rep. Scotty Campbell (R-Mountain City), Rep. Tim Hicks (R-Gray), and Rep. Rebecca Alexander (R-Jonesborough). In Knoxville, the House will see the following: Democrat Sam McKenzie, Republican Michele Carringer, and Republican Eddie Mannis. In Memphis, Democrat Torrey Harris beat out former Rep. John DeBerry who was forced to run as an independent, and Republican John Gillespie narrowly hung on to former Rep. Jim Coley’s seat with a victory over Democrat challenger Gabby Salinas.

Elsewhere in the state, the House will also welcome Rep. Tandy Darby (R-Greenfield) and Rep. Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill).

In races involving Insuror members, our own held strong. New Insurors CEO Rep. Ron Travis (R-Dayton) won reelection easily, as did members Rep. Michael Curcio, Rep. Ron Gant, Rep. Kelly Keisling and Rep. Dennis Powers. State Farm agent Rep. Clark Boyd also won reelection.

New Session Just Weeks Away

The 112th Tennessee General Assembly convenes on January 12, 2021. It will undoubtedly be a unique session as access to the chambers continues to be impacted by COVID-19. Many anticipate a shortened session and one that is more focused on COVID-related and time-sensitive bills. We will be ready no matter the circumstances, and I am also very much looking forward to our first session with Ron Travis as our CEO.

Despite the hard work of our Government Affairs Committee and myself to protect and advance the interests of independent agents in the state legislature, that work is not successful without a well-funded PAC. Please remember to contribute generously to InsurPACTN and InsurPac when you receive your dues renewals so that we can continue to be successful on the legislative front.

With that in mind, many of our members have already been great supporters of InsurPACTN in 2021. Please take a look on the next page and share in our gratitude for their participation.

About the Author

Jim Layman, J.D. is the Director of Government Relations for Insurors. He previously worked for the Tennessee Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services as legislative liaison and rules coordinator. Prior to that, he worked for the Dept. of Health as a legislative liaison and the Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development as director of unemployment insurance appeals. Jim graduated from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee. He may be contacted at jlayman@insurors.org. u

InsurPACTN Contributors Recognizing our Top 2020 Supporters

Champion's Club ($1,000 or higher)

Anderson Benson Insurance • Bob McIntire • Brad V. Smith • Cate-Russell Insurance • Chris Allison • Commercial Insurance Associates • Cindi Gresham • Eric Collison • Frank E. Neal & Company • Chip Fridrich • Hardin County Bank Insurance • Jimmy Ward • John Bailey Company • John McInturff III • • Kevin Ownby • Kym Clevenger • Lou Moran III • Mark Slater • Martin & Zerfoss, Inc. • Miller Loughry Beach Insurance Services • Norfleet Anthony III • Oseman Insurance • Powell & Meadows Insurance • Price & Ramey Insurance • Scott Ferguson • SecureRisk • SouthPoint Risk Advisors • Strate Insurance • Sunbelt Insurance Group • Swallows Insurance • Tee Zerfoss • Thompson & Smith • V.R. Williams & Company • Westan Insurance Group • White and Associates Insurance • Young-Hughes Insurance

Capitol Club ($500-$999)

Arlington/Roe • Bailey Special Risks • Barnes Insurance • BFS Insurance • Bolivar Insurance & Real Estate Agency • Boyle Insurance • Bradshaw & Co. Insurors • Boyle Insurance Agency • Bradshaw & Company Insurors • Cy Young • Donald Ray Pennington • Ed Gibbons • Edwards, Tipton and Witt Agency • Griffin Insurance Agency • Inter-Agency Insurance Services • Jamie Williams • Joe Lester • John McCord • Keith Phelps • Laura Ann Howell • Lipscomb & Pitts Insurance • Lofton Wells Insurance • Maddox Insurance Agency • McDonald Insurance and Financial Services • Porch-Stribling-Webb Insurance • Reno Benson • Richard Whitley • Shafer Insurance • Steve Oseman • Taylor Porch • Tommy Allmon • Widener Insurance Agency • Wyatt Insurance

Campaign Club ($50-$499)

Abbott Insurance • Amber Crosslin • Amie Newsom • Bagley & Bagley • Bailey Insurance Service • Battle Page Insurance • BurchfielOverbay & Associates • Burke, Powers & Harty • Capital Risk Management Group • Carnal-Roberts Agency • Cassie Creson • Central Insurance • Chambers Insurance Agency • Chelsy Cuendet • Chelsy Dochety • Clagett Huddleston Insurance • Coker, Wolfe & Associates • Coley Insurance Agency • Crye-Leike Insurance • Daniel Smith • David Allen • Davis McCord • DeKalb County Insurance • Dixie Smith • Elite Insurance Solutions • Elliott Johnson Insurance • Emily Owens • Encompass Insurance • Farris Evans Insurance • Flegal Insurance • Foster Insurance • Fred L. Davis Insurance • Fridrich & Associates Insurance Agency • Gary Cooper Insurance • Graham & Cook • Guess Insurance • Hale Insurance • Handley Insurance Resources • Haven Insurance Partners • H.B. Cowan & Co. • Heritage Insurance Group • Herron-Connell Insurance • Holli Lawson • Holman & Holman Insurance • Hunter Trimble • Hyde & Associates • Insurefit RM • International Insurance Brokerage • Ivy Insurance • Jack Thoma • James A. Rothberg & Associates • Janis Nestor • Jan Ward • J. Mark Bowery Insurance • J.M. Insurance • John McInturff Jr. • Jolene Vaughter • J. Paul Richardson & Son • June Wilkinson-Taylor • Keisling Insurance • Kellon Insurance • Kenneth Pack • Lindsey Martin • Markus Insurance • McNail Insurance • Nicole Poole • Noland Gomez • Northshore Insurance • OccuSure Workers’ Comp Specialists • Oldham and Cox Insurance • Ownby Insurance Service • Page, Chaffin & Riggins Insurance • Parker and Watts Insurance • Perry Trowbridge • Public Risk Insurors • Raborn Insurance Agency • Regina Hendrickson • Ron Berry Insurance • Sam Bradshaw • Shannon Insurance Agency • Sills Insurance • S.N. Anthony Inc. • Steve Bryant • Susan Clem • Susan Hawkins • Swafford Insurance • Taylor Insurance • T.C. Simmons Insurance • Thetford Insurance • Tooley & Carver • Townsend-Evans Insurance • Tri-State Claims • Trust Point Insurance • Tucker Agency • Veritas Risk Management & Insurance Services • Waggoner’s Insurance Agency • Wall-Modrall Insurance Service • Watauga Insurance • Whitehead Insurance Group Advocate The Agent

Why Choose West Bend?

People Insurance is a people business, and at West Bend, we pride ourselves on approachability and accessibility at every level of our company.

Relationships We consider the relationships with our agents to be partnerships. Agents are our primary customers, and we support, and wholeheartedly endorse, a strong independent agency system.

Stability Since 1894, West Bend has come to stand for excellence through the use of innovative products, steady growth, and financial stability. Since 1971, we’ve maintained an A (Excellent) or better rating from AM Best.

Regional Mutual Insurer As a regional mutual insurer, West Bend decides what to do, and our decisions are always based on what’s best for our agents, insureds, and associates for the long term. As a regional insurer, we understand the local and regional markets.

Products Our product offerings are well rounded, innovative, and diverse. West Bend is an industry leader in writing a wide range of businesses, including most found on your town’s Main Street. Through our specialty division, we specialize in writing risks many other companies turn away. Our bond department makes contract and commercial bonding easy to quote and issue. And our monoline workers’ compensation division provides a high-touch, results-oriented approach to help customers control the cost of insurance.

Service Our dedication to service is what sets us apart from our competitors. Our knowledgeable and skilled teams of professionals provide unmatched service and dedication to our agents and their customers.

It doesn’t end there Put all of these together – and more – and you’ll find West Bend offers distinct value through superior agency relationships, strong financial performance, stability, commitment to outstanding products and services, and knowledge and experience.

That’s why agents choose West Bend.

Association Update

Three Insurors Named to Musto Hall of Fame

The Robert E. Musto Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame at Middle Tennessee State University has selected three longtime insurance professionals for its 2020 class, all of which have ties to Insurors of Tennessee. Jack Spann, Bill Wilson and Bud Zander will all be inducted into the hall in 2020, and we plan to recognize them at a ceremony during our 2021 Agency Growth Conference on March 24 in Franklin.

John A. "Jack" Spann III's posthumous honor recognizes a long and accomplished career in the insurance industry. A Past President of Insurors, Spann was also the leader of Spann Insurance which was later acquired by Brown and Brown of Tennessee. He was a former president of Insurors of Nashville, was named Insuror of the Year in 1988, helped begin our Titans Radio program, and also helped found our banking partner INSBANK.

Bill Wilson, CPCU, ARM, AIM, AAM formerly served as the director of education and technical affairs for Insurors and later retired as associate vice president of education and research for the Big "I", where he founded the Big “I” Virtual University. Since his retirement, Wilson has founded InsuranceCommentary.com, an industry blog about property and casualty insurance, is working on a fifth book and delivers keynote presentations as part of his consulting work. He has won several national education awards, including the George M. Gottheimer Memorial Award, which is presented periodically to a CPCU Society member who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of insurance education, risk management or insurance consulting.

Julian "Bud" Zander's posthumous honor recognizes a 60-year career as a principal of the well-known family business Zander Insurance, one of the largest independent insurance agencies in the country. Zander served on the Insurors Board in the early 1990s.

He also taught for five years as an adjunct faculty member at Nashville State Community College. From the time he joined Zander Insurance, the company grew every year and earned awards in every area of insurance service, including P&C and L&H, according to his nomination letter. Zander was known for providing “the same care and attention to every client, whether they had one car insured with Zander or a multimillion-dollar business.”

Nordhaus Named to 2020 "Hall of Fame" Class

Former Insurors Executive Director George Nordhaus was recently named by Insurance Business America magazine to its 2020 Hall of Fame class. Nordhaus has over 6 decades of experience in the industry and still works in insurance as the founder of USA Insurance Network. He has written several books on insurance sales and marketing and consulted with agencies across the country.

Reliance Partners Continues its Expansion

Chattanooga-based Reliance Partners, LLC has announced the agency will add 100 additional jobs and invest another $1.3 million in its headquarters in the city. The agency serves primarily the trucking and logistics industry and currently has nearly 175 employees at locations in Chattanooga, Chicago, Milwaukee, Tampa, Birmingham, Alabama, Sacramento, California and Austin.

"We've nearly doubled our premium income every year and long-term our goal is to become a billion-dollar company," said Andrew Ladebauche, who founded the company in 2009 and remains its CEO. "We're growing our business nationwide, but Chattanooga remains our headquarters where we see the most employment growth and where we see real opportunity to serve the logistics industry."

The agency also just acquired the assets of Nashvillebased transportation-focused insurance agency Capacity Southeast. Capacity Southeast Agency’s President, Debra Brake, and Senior Vice President, Jessie Merritt, will also join Reliance Partners’ team.

Oster a Finalist Among "Best Agents"

Stanton Oster, a peronsal lines client executive with Shafer Insurance in Knoxville, was recently voted as a finalist in Cityview Magazine's "2020 Best of the Best" in the Insurance Agent category. Oster has been with the agency for almost 3 years and specializes in home, auto, life, and other personal lines of coverage.

Oakes Named to "40 Under 40" by Knox.biz

Stuart Oakes, the president of the construction division for TIS Insurance Services, Inc. in Knoxville and former Insurors Young Agent Chair, was recently named to the "Knox.biz 40 continued on page 41