Bill seeks elected insurance chief

Rep. Leon Stavrinakis took action Tuesday to put an elected official at the top of the state Department of Insurance, a move Stavrinakis said would keep rate increases and rising deductibles in check.

"The people of South Carolina deserve to have a Department of Insurance that cares more about helping them protect their homes and pocketbooks than it does about the profits of big insurance corporations," Stavrinakis, D-Charleston, said in a statement. "The only certain way of ending business as usual for insurance corporations is to make the Secretary of Insurance directly accountable to the voters of South Carolina."

The agency's director is appointed and serves in the governor's Cabinet. Former Hilton Head Island Republican Sen. Scott Richardson has run the Insurance Department since 2007.

Stavrinakis' bill was sent to the House Judiciary Committee and will be vetted when the Legislature returns to session in January.

North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana each elect officials to run their insurance agencies.

Stavrinakis noted the continuing trend of more coverage exclusions in property insurance available to residents across South Carolina. "Like my constituents, I am tired of the rate increases, stories of unreasonably denied claims, outrageous deductibles and warnings of cancellations if legitimate claims are filed," he said. "Likewise, I have talked to local insurance agents who are having a hard time serving their customers because of insurance industry tactics being allowed by the department. The time for bold change is upon us."