North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey appears to have escalated a feud with lawmakers, firing three officials at the state fire marshal’s office after legislation stripped Causey of the marshal’s job.
Causey, insurance commissioner since 2017, recently sent a top aide to warn lawmakers that he would fire the officials over the legislative changes, a state senator told WRAL TV news. Causey has denied making threats to fire anyone, but he said this week that he has evidence that some in his office had been working to undermine his job for their own gain, the TV station reported.
The controversy erupted in October, after a state budget bill was approved, which stripped Causey of the job of state fire marshal, making it a separate position. Since the 1940s, the state insurance commissioner has doubled as fire marshal and Causey had embraced that role, working closely with local fire departments and overseeing grants to improve service.
Causey, a Republican like the majority of legislators, crossed some lawmakers this year when he vocally opposed a bill that gave Blue Cross Blue Shield more autonomy and more control over its surplus funds. One legislator has said the marshal job was separated because firefighters and departments need a full-time marshal.
Although the insurance commissioner is officially the fire marshal, Causey in 2018 appointed Brian Taylor to be chief marshal, handling the day-to-day operations. Taylor was one of the three who was let go this week, the Raleigh News & Observer reported.
It’s not certain if the terminations will stand. The governor has yet to sign the budget bill. But if it takes effect, it would make the chief marshal the official state fire marshal until the General Assembly confirms someone for the job, according to news reports. Another bill, approved last week, adds more protections for Taylor’s job, the newspaper reported.
Meanwhile, Causey said in a news release Tuesday that he had appointed Tony Bailey as chief marshal and Craig Jarman as deputy chief marshal.
Photo: Causey in April. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)
Topics Legislation North Carolina
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