Jacob Ogles
U.S. Senate candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell says Florida Republicans must call a Special Session to address Florida’s property insurance problems.
“Property insurance costs are a crisis. I’m calling on leaders in Tallahassee to convene an immediate Special Session to pass common-sense legislation to lower costs for Florida families and small businesses,” she said. “We need action, not tomorrow, but right now, to save Floridians who are struggling with massive rate increases.”
The Miami Democrat made a public call for action a week after Hurricane Idalia made landfall in the Big Bend, bringing the risk of higher premiums and more insurers leaving the disaster-prone state.
Mucarsel-Powell announced last month she’s seeking to challenge U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, a Naples Republican. In raising the property insurance issue, she traced years of high consumer costs to his eight years as Florida’s Governor.
“For too long, Florida families have been paying some of the highest property insurance rates in the country — rates have been skyrocketing for years,” she said.
“This is not a new problem: when Rick Scott was Governor, rates reached record highs, and due to his failures, rates have just kept climbing. We all know families who are making the tough decision right now between paying for their insurance or supplies for their kids as school starts.”
She also tied the issue to environmental concerns, a sign she wants to hit the Senator on his record there.
Scott through the years has famously tried to avoid using terms like “climate change” to explain increasing intensity and frequency of major storms. Of note, the Senator appears to be increasingly comfortable with the term, but Democrats continue to hammer him for a famous Florida Center for Investigative Reporting story in 2015 indicating Scott banned terms including “climate change” from his administration’s reports.
“It is long past time to acknowledge the impact of climate change on this crisis,” Mucarsel-Powell said. “Floridians need solutions that put them first, not political agendas or insurance company profits.”
But ultimately, Gov. Ron DeSantis or the Republican-controlled state Legislature will decide whether a Special Session on property insurance takes place.
4 comments
Sonja Fitch
September 6, 2023 at 10:40 am
Yes! These Republicans are just in for their egos. Leading or develop policy for common good is absolutely impossible!!!
Bob
September 6, 2023 at 4:15 pm
Political showmanship at its worst… Common sense reforms were recently enacted and the effect of those reforms will take time to feel. Some of those reforms are being litigated in courts.
Of note, two companies have recently opened business here in Florida thanks to those reforms. The problem wasn’t created overnight and it won’t be solved overnight either.
Beyond blaming her political opponent and demanding a special session, what does she propose be done that hasn’t already been done? Since no actual policy changes were floated in this article, the obvious answer is: nothing!
The only thing democrats in Tallahassee want to do is rule with an iron fist and tell companies they must reduce premiums or face the wrath of Democrats. Trouble is that would be like pouring fuel on the fire. Companies are leaving Florida in droves and mandating price reductions will only cause more to flee the state and remove competition, driving up costs.
Dr. Franklin Waters
September 7, 2023 at 10:21 am
“The only thing democrats in Tallahassee want to do is rule with an iron fist”
Well there it is. The stupidest thing i’ll read all week.
Al
September 7, 2023 at 11:33 am
I would recommend the first step to change the law that Scott signed that allows insurance companies to funnel their profits out of state.
This allows them to not have to drain their profits when they go belly up in Florida.
After what I’ve seen the Governor due to Disney, I also further disagree with you their are some solutions he can deal to the private companies.
Maybe threaten not to let them sell car insurance here if they do home insurance in the other states for one.
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