From the President’s Desk
Rep. Deborah Ferguson, DDS (AR) – NCOIL President
Welcome to the second installment of my quarterly column: “From the President’s Desk.”
I hope this finds everyone well and you are looking forward to the summer months as much as I am. As we prepare for the change in seasons, I would like to take this opportunity to share some thoughts on what we have accomplished so far this year and look ahead to the rest of 2023.
Our Spring Meeting in San Diego was a huge success from both a substance and attendance perspective. I am happy to report that we had the highest legislator attendance at a Spring Meeting ever which is a great indicator of NCOIL’s continued growth. Having more legislators from around the country at the table contributes to more informed policy discussions, better model laws, and ultimately a stronger NCOIL.
I was particularly pleased to see a near perfect split of Democrats and Republicans at the Meeting which really highlights NCOIL’s ongoing commitment to bipartisanship. It’s one thing to just say the organization is bipartisan, and another thing entirely to actually back that up with numbers. While it is sometimes hard to tell which political party an NCOIL legislator is from since the discussions we have are often so collaborative, having a balance of viewpoints from both sides of the aisle really enhances our conversations and emphasizes the credibility of our model laws as they are considered in legislatures across the country.
In addition to the bipartisan nature of the Meeting, the number of first time legislator attendees (19) is another positive sign for NCOIL’s future. Bringing more legislators into NCOIL’s membership is mutually beneficial as it provides new perspectives in our discussions and gives legislators useful information to take back to their states as they navigate the various issues impacting insurance public policy. We certainly hope to see many of those legislators at our Summer Meeting in Minneapolis and beyond!
I also want to thank the industry members that sponsored dinners specifically for legislators attending their first NCOIL meeting. This was our first time trying this and based upon what I heard, it was a success and we’ll be doing it again in Minneapolis. I think these dinners are a great idea because, despite our best efforts to be welcoming, too often it’s a “sink or swim” approach for legislators attending their first NCOIL meeting. It really helps to have time carved out to meet people and learn about their background.
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