On April 15th in Tallahassee, Policyholders of Florida, FAIR, and Good Foundation Florida held a joint press conference with Representative Mike Fasano regarding two anti-consumer bills up for consideration in the state legislature.… Continue Reading
Florida law should reflect public policy that Citizens Property Insurance Corporation is the insurer of last resort. Currently, Citizens is merely the insurance agent’s insurer of last resort. I propose legislation be enacted that makes a clearinghouse for admitted insurers to take policies before they get into Citizens and before Citizens renews any policy.… Continue Reading
I wanted to make sure you saw a feature published this week by the Sunshine State News. The piece is called the Soapbox, and it bills itself as a lively debate among political opinion leaders across the state. This week, the topic of discussion was Citizens rates, and I was asked to participate along side … Continue Reading
In case you haven’t seen the news, Senator Mike Fasano, one of Florida’s most vocal and effective advocates on insurance issues, recently announced his intention to run for the Florida State House of Representatives. This, of course, comes as welcome news to all those who have fought against the insurance industry’s tireless lobbying efforts.… Continue Reading
The 2012 Legislative session is right around the corner. It’s hard to believe December has already arrived, leaving only one more committee week before session begins on Tuesday, January 10, 2012. Many bills favored by leadership have already cleared their first major hurdle by navigating through at least one committee.… Continue Reading
Early this week, another property insurance bill, SB 846, was filed in the Florida State Senate. Before you jump out the window, or turn off your computer in disgust, I have some GOOD news — SB 846 is actually good public policy.… Continue Reading
Floridians won a great victory on Tuesday. Against the wishes of powerful legislators in Tallahassee and the exceptionally influential insurance lobby, Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty struck down most of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation’s proposed 447% sinkhole insurance rate hikes.… Continue Reading
Throughout my career, I have spent a great deal of time in Tallahassee, working on a broad range of insurance issues. Even with that experience, Tallahassee is a strange place to me. It is also a distant place to most Floridians – both in location and in familiarity. Some of us know the legislators in … Continue Reading
Paige St. John reported on another blockbuster insurance story over the weekend in Gov. Scott Quietly Trying to Kill Citizens Insurance. After obtaining internal government documents and emails, St. John reported: Gov. Rick Scott has secretly pushed to kill Citizens Property Insurance before his first term ends… In a February meeting with the industry lobbyists writing … Continue Reading
Before the Hurricanes of 2004 and 2005, few people showed up for insurance related legislation and committee hearings. When some suggested I get to the meeting early to make certain I could find a seat, it was obvious that times had changed.… Continue Reading
On February 7, 2011, the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee met in Tallahassee to discuss SB 408. This was supposed to be the meeting at which the full bill would be voted on. However, it soon became clear that the bill was too complicated to make it through this meeting in time. The meeting was … Continue Reading
Megyn Kelly, of FoxNews interviewed me last Friday. The topic was “Who Will Take the Lead in Deficit Debate.” She appropriately raised the important issue whether our political leaders have the courage to change spending and tax policy to prevent government bankruptcy. Here is the Interview:… Continue Reading
Florida Senator Mike Fasano is not afraid to talk about the elephant in the room. Yesterday, he called the proposed insurance bill "scary." A blog in the Miami Herald, Fasano: Why debate sinkhole coverage if no one will provide it anymore? reported:… Continue Reading
State Farm lobbyists are going to have their work cut out for them after Paige St. John‘s story, HOW STATE FARM CASHED IN ON A CRISIS, documented how State Farm used financial slight of hand and friendly politicians in the Florida legislature to help create an insurance crisis leading to greater profits through a re-insurance … Continue Reading
Governor Charlie Crist will certainly be asking himself the question whether the property insurance legislation before him is bad for average Florida insurance consumers. Yesterday’s afternoon post, Pay Higher Premiums and Get Less Coverage Legislation — Can Anybody Explain Why This is Good for Floridians? provided a simple explanation of why many are calling for Governor … Continue Reading
The Florida Senate Banking and Insurance Committee has a number of very intelligent and very well meaning members. Two of them, Senator Rhonda Storms and Mike Fasano stood up yesterday to the insurance lobbyists who know little about insurance, but a lot about propaganda and politics. Full time and professional insurance lobbyists have one agenda–achieve their … Continue Reading
The Florida legislator is full of "flip flop" legislators that are reversing laws made in 2005 and 2006 which supported lower insurance rates and protected insurance consumers from unscrupulous insurers. Governor Charlie Crist ran on a platform of helping Floridians keep insurance rates down and he is sticking to that promise even as other politicians … Continue Reading
I wonder how our clients, the Leeds, would feel if they had purchased only catastrophic sinkhole coverage or no sinkhole coverage, rather than the normal sinkhole coverage required when they purchased their "all-risk" insurance policy. Their home slowly but surely cracked, drooped, and sank over several years before it was condemned. If they "saved" money … Continue Reading
Florida Senator Mike Fasano, a public servant ever vigilant about consumers of regulated industries getting ripped by the amounts they have to pay for mandated services and products, forwarded a recent news article, “Group Backs Florida Property Insurance Rate Hike.” When the Florida legislators and Governor were concerned about the severe escalation of property insurance premiums … Continue Reading
Two significant pieces of information show a continued trend in the property insurance business and suggests that insurance customers should not rely on the loyalty of their insurance companies. An article by Bea Garcia in the Miami Herald, Florida May Gut Discounts for Hurricane Shutters highlights the industry wide issues raised by State Farm’s requests to eliminate discounts … Continue Reading
Imagine if our legislatures had truly knowledgeable insurance consumer advocates. Do you think the insurance industry would have tried to pass laws in Texas and Florida that allowed insurance rates to unfairly rise or allow immunity for wrongful conduct after a loss occurs like TWIA is attempting in Texas?… Continue Reading
Have you ever visited one on one with an elected legislator for more than 30 minutes? I have a number of times, and the results are mixed. Yesterday, I had a surprisingly pleasant and rewarding experience talking with Mike Fasano, a Florida Senator.… Continue Reading