Golf, Politics, and Insurance

Summer is just flying by us, and I hope you are enjoying every minute! We here at Insurance Journal are very busy in planning for our upcoming issues. In fact, as we put this issue to bed, production starts right up again for our next issue—the 2nd Annual Golf issue.

I’m sure you recall last year’s IJ Golf issue. It was chock full of tips on how to improve your golf score, network on the greens and profiles of your favorite courses. This year’s issue will deliver all of that and more. We’ve got an interview with LPGA pro Karrie Webb, of Australia, a two-time U.S. Open champion. And of course, more tips from the pros on how to improve your game and photos of you and your colleagues out on the greens. We hope you enjoy it.

In keeping with our promise to include more coverage of the issues affecting all of the Western states, in this issue Staff Writer Dawn Love interviews Montana State Fund President Laurence Hubbard. While Montana might not be the hotbed of insurance issues as in California, its State Fund has also been under scrutiny recently, fighting off privatization attempts. The Fund has prevailed thus far, and on page 18, Hubbard talks about what makes the Fund so successful.

Also in this issue, Texas/SouthCentral Editor Stephanie Jones discusses why, nationwide, rulings on construction defects are making it difficult for residential contractors to find coverage. Unknown claims keep traditional carriers at bay while agents and contractors reap the consequences. You can read more about it in “Construction Defects: Burning a Hole through the Contractors Market” on page N4.

On page 69, Heffernan Group’s Susan Brodahl updates us on the new changes in Washington construction law and how agents and contractors can effectively deal with these changes.

Finally, as you may have already heard, Democratic Presidential hopeful John Kerry selected North Carolina Senator John Edwards as his vice presidential running mate, raising concerns across the tort reform arena. Edwards reportedly made millions as a personal injury lawyer, and many in the industry fear that a Kerry-Edwards victory will most certainly lead to increased tort tax and further hinder tort reform efforts.

Tell us what you think about the Kerry-Edwards ticket, and anything else you might have on your mind.

Have a great summer!