Dispute with Louisiana Insurance Department, Legislature Resolved

Steve Theriot, Louisiana’s legislative auditor, said a legal dispute between the legislature and state insurance department has been resolved.

The dispute involved Theriot’s demand that Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon release his agency’s internal documents for an audit. Donelon resisted, saying the documents could not be released because they contained private insurance companies’ confidential market data.

Theriot said late last week that he and Donelon agreed that the insurance department will release the documents under a confidentiality agreement.

A legislative panel voted to rescind subpoenas for the records that the committee issued last year.