Declarations

A Textual Reminder

“Stay Alive, Don’t Text and Drive.”

—Arkansas has launched a campaign to remind motorists that it can be deadly to text while behind the wheel. Digital message boards across the state are bearing the message, “Stay Alive, Don’t Text and Drive.” Arkansas Children’s Hospital says mobile phones cause thousands of traffic crashes every year, accidents that are preventable. Arkansas First Lady Ginger Beebe helped organize the effort with the Arkansas State Police. The messages ran for a week in July and will run again Aug. 7-13. AP

More Expected

“We are expecting to see a number of states join NIMA. … The agreement allows state authorities to work cooperatively to collect and allocate premium taxes for multi-state surplus lines insurance transactions based on the risk or exposure in each state as has been done in the past. These premium taxes provide support to the states’ general funds.”

—Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance James Donelon announced that his state has joined the Non-Admitted Insurance Multi-State Agreement (NIMA), a reciprocal allocation arrangement for the collection of surplus lines premium taxes. NIMA was established in response to the Non-admitted and Reinsurance Reform Act of 2010 (NRRA), which went into effect on July 21.

A Pro-business Session

“One of the things I told them about was our pro-business (legislative) session and how we focused on lawsuit and workers’ compensation reform.”

—Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin is pitching her state’s business climate and work force in an attempt to lure some Illinois-based companies to the Sooner State. Fallin met in Chicago with several Illinois-based businesses that currently have a presence in Oklahoma, including insurance giant Blue Cross Blue Shield, transportation company Navistar, and Acconia, which manufactures wind turbines. Fallin said Navistar, which employs more than 1,000 workers in Tulsa, is looking at the possibility of expanding its operations there. AP