Declarations

Odor Battle

“We believe it’s a strong ruling that acknowledges and is reflective of the concerns that the community has raised about the health impacts of the odor.”

—Irwindale, Calif., City Attorney Fred Galante applauded a decision by a judge that the factory that manufactures Sriracha hot sauce must partially shut down after neighbors complained of the spicy smells it was producing.

How Much?

“It used to be, ‘Do I need earthquake coverage?’ Now it’s changed to, ‘How much insurance do I need? … I never thought it would be a concern, but anything can happen here.”

—Oklahoma City insurance agent Matt Pryor comments on the increased interest in earthquake insurance among Oklahomans. Since 2008, the state has experienced an uptick in the number of temblors occurring there each year, increasing from a handful of magnitude-3.0 earthquakes or greater annually to around 40 per year from 2009 to 2013.

Essential Contribution

“This is a city and a state which recognizes and acknowledges the essential contribution of your industry to our economic good health.”

—Massachusetts Insurance Commissioner Joseph Murphy on the state’s insurance market. Speaking at a Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents’ Boston event in November, Murphy noted that the state’s overall insurance market is a $43 billion industry, directly employing more than 100,000 people.

Rooting Out Bad Apples

“The state has to have some authority over who are the navigators. … We have to be able to root out any bad apples.”

—Missouri State Sen. Scott Rupp, R-Wentzville. A new Missouri law requiring insurance counselors to receive at least 30 hours of training and pay a small fee in order to help online shoppers negotiate the federal health insurance exchange has been challenged in court by a coalition of medical organizations and healthcare advocates.