TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Top Florida Republicans including Gov. Rick Scott remain at odds over who should become the state’s next insurance commissioner.
Scott on Tuesday ended a meeting with the Florida Cabinet after other elected officials refused to back Scott’s candidate for the job. Scott has called an emergency meeting later this week to consider other applicants.
Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty is scheduled to leave May 2. He has offered to stay on the job until a successor is picked, but Scott’s top lawyer has argued that McCarty cannot remain without a vote by the governor and Cabinet.
Scott and the three Cabinet members must vote on a new commissioner, but both the governor and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater have veto power over the choice.
The job is crucial because the person regulates an important industry in a hurricane-prone state.
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