Chapter 7 : 1980s
During the 1980s , conservative politics and Reaganomics held sway as the Berlin Wall crumbled , new computer technologies emerged and blockbuster movies and MTV reshaped pop culture .
• The 2nd Annual Day at the Capital was on February 26 , 1980 in Topeka at the Ramada Inn . Dignitaries included Attorney General Robert Stephan and State Treasurer Joan Finney . The essential legislative items that year included establishing funds for the Tort Liability Claims , supporting a state-backed pool for liability exposures , and expanding the current Workers ’ Comp Fund .
• Larry Magill was hired as the Executive Manager on July 7 , 1980 .
• The 60th Annual Convention was October 30 - November 2 , 1980 . Held in Colorado Springs , Colorado , at the Broadmoor Hotel , it was the first out of state convention . The theme was “ New Horizons ” and it included a golf and tennis tournament . Several afternoons were left open for tours and sightseeing . Speakers included : Robert A . Bolin , senior vice president of USF & G ; David E . Geldart , assistant vice president and director of sales training for Commercial Union Companies ; and , Kansas Insurance Commissioner Fletcher Bell .
• The Kansas Child Safety Act became effective on January 1 , 1982 . It required that children under twoyears old must be restrained in automobiles .
• Agency Assistance Corporation of Kansas ( the for-profit subsidiary of IIAK ) was formed and operational , as of October 1982 , to handle city and county or municipal liability insurance programs and marketed through Employers Mutual Corporation . In December 1982 , the Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws were established . C . L . Kinnard and Larry Magill were the officers of the new corporation .
• The office was looking into purchasing its first computer system in 1982 .
• The 6th Annual Day at the Capital was February 23 , 1984 . A critical issue that session was the updating of Kansas ’ Auto No-Fault law . Governor Carlin vetoed the update on April 16 , 1984 legislators passed three IIAK proposals :
• Allowed agents to cancel for non-payment of premiums ,
• Allowed primary and excess E & O insurance for certain licenses ,
• Waived resident countersignatures for non-resident agents from a state that does likewise for Kansas agents .
• Also passed was the motor vehicle record availability to agents for insuring motorists .
• The first IIAK Big “ I ” President ’ s Classic Golf Tournament was at the Salina Country Club on May 3 , 1985 . Proceeds from the event were used to help fund the Junior Golf state and national tournaments .
• The market challenge of 1986 was Child Care Insurance . It was the third most challenging coverage to buy . The increase of two-earner families and single-parent households had made it a major market .
• There was a “ Historical Groundbreaking Ceremony ” on October 11 , 1988 . Insurance Commissioner Fletcher Bell , Topeka Mayor Doug Wright , and President Gary Sollars turned over the first shovels of dirt for the association ’ s new office . Kiene & Bradley were the architects , and Murray & Sons were the contractors for the project .
100 Years of Service , 1921-2021 39