Insurance Chief Should Be an Appointee, Kopp Says
SACRAMENTO — A senator who failed to cut off insurance industry campaign contributions to the insurance commissioner proposed legislation Wednesday to fill the office with a gubernatorial appointee instead of an elected official.
“This is an office that is almost singular in the opportunity and availability of corruption and of influence in the election process,” Sen. Quentin L. Kopp (I-San Francisco) said.
Two powerful insurance industry groups gave the bill cautious endorsements, but a consumer activist called Kopp’s announcement bizarre and disconcerting and predicted that voters would reject the move.
Dana Spurrier, a spokeswoman for Republican Insurance Commissioner Charles Quackenbush, said Quackenbush hadn’t reviewed Kopp’s bill but agreed in principle that the office should be appointive.
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