Brown-Waite Suggests Gov. Bush Call Special Session on Insurance

Republican U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite asked Gov. Jeb Bush on Friday to call a special session to take additional steps to deal with spiraling cost of homeowners insurance, saying that what Florida has done so far is good, but not enough.

A spokesman for Bush said the governor has no plans to call such a session.

In calling on her fellow Republican Bush to bring lawmakers back to do more about the insurance crisis, Brown-Waite joins legislative Democrats who have said that a wide-ranging bill lawmakers passed on the last day of the state legislative session won’t do enough to help ease the difficulty Floridians are having in paying for hurricane coverage.

Brown-Waite, who is from Brooksville, noted that the Legislature did manage to save Florida residents a total of about $750 million in higher premiums that they otherwise would have paid to bail out Citizens Property Insurance. The state created insurer for people who can’t get coverage came up short and without the bailout bill would have passed that cost on to all other Florida homeowners.

She also praised the state Legislature for elements of the bill that give insurers the ability to more easily raise rates thus giving “relief to insurers who continue to write policies in Florida” and encouraging them to continue to do business here.

Brown-Waite also commended Bush for creating an insurance reform committee to examine the problem of insurers not wanting to write hurricane coverage in a state that’s seen eight storms in two years and forecasts for more.

“It is imperative that the committee begin its work immediately so that you may convene a special session to implement their solutions,” Brown-Waite wrote to Bush. “Constituent cries are no longer simple outrage; they are desperation and fear. Without a solution, one hurricane this year will cripple our state and bring the economic prosperity we have experienced to a grinding halt.”

Bush spokesman Russell Schweiss said the governor’s office was reviewing the letter, but “the governor does not have any plans at this time to call a special session.”

Democrats quickly noted that they have been saying for weeks that the Republican-controlled Legislature hasn’t done enough to deal with high insurance costs.

“This administration cannot solve this crisis by ignoring it,” said House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach. “The Republicans have called multiple special sessions over the last few years, mostly to deal with issues like the Terri Schiavo matter or for powerful business interests. Why won’t they call a special session for everyday Floridians who are being hammered by skyrocketing windstorm insurance premiums?”