Insurance Commissioner requests his department stop receiving state funds

The Oklahoma Insurance Department has requested that they no longer receive state funding.

Insurance Commissioner John Doak made the request in a letter to Governor Mary Fallin Monday as the state faces a budget crisis.

"We certainly want to do everything we can to help with the massive shortfall. Since my office has the ability to operate on the licensing fees we collect, it only makes sense for our appropriation to go elsewhere." Doak said.

Doak says his office has received over $9 million in appropriated funds since 2011. In that same time period, the legislature has taken $28.5 million from the department's revolving account.

"I'm very proud of the fact that we have been well below budget every year I've been in office," Doak said.

Read Doak's letter to Gov. Fallin and the legislature here: