Arkansas Bill Gives Governor Power to Fire Insurance Chief

The Arkansas Senate has approved legislation that would give the governor the power to fire the state’s insurance commissioner at will.

The bill would require the state insurance commissioner to serve at the pleasure of the governor. The proposal by Sen. Terry Smith, D-Hot Springs, now heads to the House.

The insurance commissioner currently is appointed by the governor to a four-year term. The Arkansas law setting up the insurance commissioner position does not say who, if anyone, currently has the power to remove the commissioner.

The post would no longer be a four-year appointment under Smith’s proposal.

Earlier this month, Gov. Mike Beebe appointed former legislator Jay Bradford to the post. Bradford replaced Julie Benafield Bowman, who had been appointed commissioner in 2004 by then-Gov. Mike Huckabee.