Texas Republican moves to abolish state’s consumer insurance advocate

A state consumer insurance advocate’s office could be shuttered in Texas just as it is making progress on blocking massive rate hike hammering homeowners across the state who are insured through State Farm, if a Republican state senator gets his way.

A bill filed Thursday by Sen. Kelly Hancock (pictured) of north Texas would, according to The Dallas Morning News, shut down the Office of Public Insurance Counsel, a key consumer advocate in the state’s insurance rulemaking process.

The bill comes immediately after the insurance counsel made strides toward blocking a 20 percent rate increase for homeowner’s insurance implemented by State Farm late last year. A hearing on the matter before an administrative law judge was set for March 4, according to an agency release issued Thursday (PDF).