Flanders Named chair of House Insurance Sub-Committee

LACONIA — Representative Don Flanders of Laconia, a Republican serving his sixth term in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, will chair the Insurance Sub-Committee of the House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee.

In a novel move, Speaker of the House William O'Brien this week announced that the committee would be divided into two sub-committees, Insurance and Consumer Regulations and Banking and Business Regulations.

First elected in 2000, Flanders has served on the Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee throughout most of tenure. He is the chairman and treasurer of the Byse Agency, Inc. and the national director of the Professional Insurance Agents of New Hampshire, whose policial action committee named him "Legislator of the Year" in 2005.

The vice-chair of the committee, Representative Jenn Coffey, a Republican from Andover beginning her second term in the House, was appointed to chair the Banking and Business Regulations Sub-Committee. An emergency medical technician, Coffey is best known as a staunch champion of the right to bear arms.