McCarty's days as Florida insurance commissioner are limited

Kevin McCarty's days as head of the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation are limited, according to numerous reports.

Gov. Rick Scott has confirmed that he is considering replacing McCarty, who has served as the Florida Insurance Commissioner since 2003. Reports spread that the governor was looking to shake up his administration as he begins his second term–and that shake up included eyeing Louisiana Deputy Commissioner of Consumer Advocacy Ron Henderson for McCarty's position.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Gov. Scott's office issued a statement in response to the speculation that confirmed rumors. The statement reads:

"As we made the transition to a second term in office, Ron Henderson was brought up as a possible candidate for Commissioner of OIR. We reached out and asked for his resume. We did not discuss Mr. Henderson with other Cabinet staff. As the governor said last week, the next Cabinet meeting would be a good time to discuss a process to begin a full search for new candidates to lead OIR, OFR and DOR. The governor believes government needs to be more like business and frequently change leadership to bring in new ideas and fresh energy."

However, it may not be that easy for Scott to replace McCarty. According to the Times, the commissioner of the Office of Insurance Regulation is one of several appointed executives that report to the entire elected Cabinet–not just the governor–meaning McCarty also reports to CFO Jeff Atwater, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, and Attorney General Pam Bondi.

In December of last year, Scott's office ousted Gerald Bailey, then-commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), without the knowledge of the other Cabinet members–much to the dismay of the Cabinet. Atwater and Putnam have called for a full explanation from Scott and an outside investigation of the matter. A public discussion of the controversy will be held at a Cabinet meeting later this week.

If Scott's office tries to replace McCarty without consulting Cabinet members, it could further tensions between the governor and the Cabinet–and it seems like Scott has no problem with that. According to the statement released by Scott's office, the governor explored Henderson as a replacement for McCarty without consulting Cabinet members.