Florida Lawmakers Conflicted on Reducing Property Insurance Costs

Gulf Coast Residents Recover From Hurricane Ivan

PENSACOLA, FL- SEPTEMBER 20: Employees of State Farm insurance company set up a mobile field office to accept claims resulting from Hurricane Ivan September 20, 2004 in Pensacola, Florida. Ivan came ashore near the Florida and Alabama State line causing several deaths and massive property damage in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana before heading inland. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)Photo: Scott Olson / Getty Images News / Getty Images

(Tallahassee, FL) -- Lawmakers are tackling housing affordability in Florida during this legislative session.

Democratic Caucus leader Fentrice Driskell says her party is proposing ways to reduce property taxes, while Republicans insist on eliminating property taxes.

Democratic Policy Chair Kelly Skidmore says her bill to create a national catastrophic risk pool similar to national flood insurance is advancing.

Rep. Skidmore says her bill requires the Florida insurance commissioner to begin the catastrophic risk compact with other states or countries which caught the attention of a Global Risk expert with the Willis Group.

She says the expert believes that if Florida pooled risk with two other entities like a state or country, our insurance premiums would be immediately reduced by 30-percent.

According to Skidmore, her proposed bill would "create a national catastrophic risk pool similar to National Flood insurance which shares the financial responsibility of rebuilding after a major storm with other states or countries."

She says unfortunately, Republicans are more concerned with eliminating property taxes which she says is just a tax transference.


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content