As the Big "I" prepares for its upcoming Legislative Conference &Convention, many of its legislative priorities are in the TV spotlight as top news. Over the last couple of weeks, both the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York and the Independent Insurance Agents of West Virginia were featured in local newscasts for their involvement in the debate over the formation their states' health insurance exchanges. In addition, on C-SPAN last week, Rep. Patrick Tiberi (R-Ohio) spoke out in favor of a bill to repeal the onerous "1099 provision" of the new health care law because of the burden it would place on small business owners, and cited independent agents as a specific example.
In related news, Big "I" President &CEO Bob Rusbuldt was a recent special guest on a local Washington, D.C. CBS newscast. He discussed the potential impact of a possible government shutdown if lawmakers and the White House fail to agree on a federal funding deal. He talked about how a closure would affect daily government operations and the tenor of longer-term ongoing wrangling on Capitol Hill. For more information, contact Sue Nester (susan.nester@iiaba.net), Big "I" broadcast media director.