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HEALTHCARE
- May
2000 Feature Article
Agents of Influence
SIX members of
Kentucky’s citizen-legislature list, or have listed, their occupation
as "insurance agent" in their official biography. All serve
in the 100-member House of Representatives, five in leadership positions.
Four are Republicans, the House minority party, and two are Democrats.
Five are members of the Banking and Insurance Committee, which has a
total of 20 members, and one is also a member of the Licensing and Occupations
Committee. The six are:
- Sheldon Baugh, R-Russellville, age 56, owner of a local agency.
Baugh has been licensed since 1974 for life, health and general lines
(property & casualty). He and his agency represent more than a
dozen major life and health insurance companies. Baugh is vice chairman
of the Banking and Insurance Committee.
- Ron Crimm, R-Middletown, age 65, also the owner of a local
agency. Crimm has been licensed since 1977 for life, health and general
lines sales and he and his agency also represent more than one dozen
major insurers. He also describes himself as a member of the Kentucky
Associations of Life and Health Underwriters and the Independent Insurance
Agents of Kentucky. Crimm is a member of the Banking and Insurance
and Licensing and
Occupations committees and vice chairman of the Local Government Committee.
- James Gooch, Jr., D-Providence, age 49. Gooch now lists his
occupation as "vice president of a steel fabrication company"
and a former insurance agency owner, but he is still a licensed life,
health and general lines agent, continuously since 1982, and is still
appointed with more than a half-dozen companies. Gooch is a member
of the Banking, Natural Resources and Environment CommitteeS.
- Stephen Nunn, R-Glasgow, age 47. The son of former Governor
Louie B. Nunn, Stephen Nunn now calls himself a "strategic development
consultant." He is a former solicitor of his own property and
casualty agency but is no longer actively licensed. Nunn is vice chairman
of the Health and Welfare Committee.
- Billy Polston, R-Tompkinsville, age 62. Polston, who has
announced his retirement after this session, is the owner of a general
lines agency in Bowling Green. He has been licensed since 1985 for
property and casualty, and since 1991 for life and health, but is
only appointed with a few companies now. Polston is a member of the
Banking and Insurance Committee.
- Steven Riggs, D-Jeffersontown, age 40. Riggs has been a general
lines and life and health agent since 1994, and represents a few major
companies. He is a member of the Banking and Insurance Committee,
and chairman of the Local Government Committee.
- There was one other agent-legislator, but he resigned before the
current session. Porter Hatcher, D-Louisville, age 63, pleaded
guilty to charges of insurance and campaign finance fraud, and gave
up his seat and licenses and agency as part of a plea bargain. He
was also placed on five years’ probation and ordered to pay about
$45,000 in restitution. Hatcher had been vice chairman of the Licensing
and Occupations Committee. He was replaced by Paul Bather, a self-employed
business consultant.
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