Florida lawmakers have ideas to fix the homeowners insurance crisis
TALLAHASSEE — As state lawmakers reconvene for the annual legislative session next month, one of the top issues they’re hearing from constituents about is the state’s homeowners insurance crisis.Naturally, some lawmakers and officials have ideas.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, in the proposed budget he unveiled in early December, wants to cut insurance taxes, which would have a nominal effect on Floridians’ premiums. The state’s insurance regulator, Mike Yaworsky, said in mid-December that he was interested in legislation to increase insurers’ transparency.
In legislation filed so far, lawmakers are proposing other solutions, including giving direct subsidies to struggling Floridians and allowing the state-run Citizens Property Insurance to cover more homes.
Whether any of these ideas will become reality is unknown. House and Senate Republican leaders haven’t unveiled what, if anything, they have planned for the upcoming session related to insurance.
Much of the legislation filed so far is sponsored by Democrats, who have offered up numerous proposals to address the crisis in recent years. The Republicans who control the Legislature haven’t allowed any of them to pass, however.
That’s likely to continue this year, Democratic lawmakers concede.
“They didn’t listen to us then. I suffer no illusion that they would listen to us now,” said Rep. Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, the leader of the House Democrats
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