R.J. Lehmann

R.J. Lehmann

Editor in Chief, R Street Institute

R.J. Lehmann is senior fellow, editor-in-chief and co-founder of the R Street Institute. He is author of the R Street policy papers: “Government sources of systemic insurable risk,” “The value of conservation compliance to hunters and anglers,” “Reforming Michigan’s auto insurance market,” “Medical cost containment in the Wisconsin workers’ compensation market” and the 2012 and 2013editions of R Street’s Insurance Regulation Report Card. He is also author of the James Madison Institute’s “Ten reforms to fix Florida’s property insurance marketplace — without raising rates” and co-author of the John Locke Foundation’s “Spotlight on NC’s auto insurance system: Seven things to understand.”<br /> <br /> Prior to joining R Street, he was an award-winning business journalist who spent nine years covering the insurance, banking and securities industries. He served as deputy director of the Heartland Institute’s Center on Finance, Insurance and Real Estate. He previously was senior industry editor with SNL Financial, leading the news service’s coverage of the Dodd-Frank Act, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and legislative and regulatory developments at both the state and federal level. Prior to that, he spent six years with the A.M. Best Co. as manager of their Washington bureau.<br /> <br /> He is a three-time award winner from the American Society of Business Publication Editors and was the youngest-ever winner of a first place prize from the New Jersey Press Association. He also is the former public affairs director of the Independent Institute in Oakland, Calif., and the former state chapters coordinator of the Republican Liberty Caucus.<br /> <br /> His writings have appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Wall Street Journal, Roll Call, CQ, The Hill, Townhall.com, American Spectator, Orlando Sentinel, Travel Weekly and Folio magazine, among other publications.