State Farm Florida is facing some skeptical state officials as it files a request for a 47-percent hike in homeowners’ insurance rates. Margie Menzel reports.

The state’s largest PRIVATE insurer is seeking a 47 percent increase in premiums from homeowners for the coming year. Bobbie O’Brien has more.

Florida lawmakers say they’re not satisfied with the results of last year’s property insurance reforms. As James Call reports, members of both the state house and senate say premiums remain too high.

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum announced yesterday that the state has reached a 46 million dollar settlement with State Farm insurance company. Under the settlement, State Farm will refund about 23 million dollars to its customers. But as James Call reports, the agreement seemed to only intensify the governor’s criticism of the industry.

Governor Charlie Crist wants to know more about how insurance companies do business in Florida. As James Call reports, the state is investigating more companies that refuse to lower property insurance premiums.

Governor Charlie Crist concedes that he probably promised too much
when he said property tax rates would drop like a rock. But as James Call
reports the governor says his effort to bring lower rates to Florida is a work in progress.

Consumer advocates want Governor Charlie Crist to expand the call for the special legislative session set for September. As James Call reports they want lawmakers to address pending auto insurance changes in the Sunshine State.

Two Florida Congressmen introduced a bill Friday to address the growing crisis in the availability and affordability of homeowners insurance. WGCU’s Amy Tardif reports.

State officials say there are not enough homeowners in southwest Florida taking advantage of its My Safe Florida Program. WGCU’s Luis Hernandez has more.

The political back-and-forth over Florida’s soaring homeowner’s insurance rates reached new heights this week. On Tuesday, Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis unveiled a series of hurricane insurance reforms. On Wednesday, Republican Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty decided one of those ideas had merit when he allowed Citizens, the state-run insurer of last resort, to take back former policyholders that left for private insurers. On Thursday, Democrat candidate for lieutenant governor Daryl Jones stopped in Fort Myers to boast about it.

“The Office of Insurance Regulation has decided to follow our policy and they made an immediate change. And this goes to what we talk about all the time: you can benefit the citizens of Florida simply by making some good decisions. And a lot of the time, the current administration wasn’t willing to make those good decisions for the people of the state.”

Republican Charlie Crist still leads in the polls for the November 7th election. But political analysts say Democrats have gained because they’ve made hurricane insurance a central issue in their campaign.

---------
Florida’s Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor swung through Fort Myers Thursday to talk about hurricane insurance reforms. Daryl Jones has criss-crossed the state since Tuesday when his running mate, Jim Davis, unveiled a series of proposals they claim will cut insurance premiums by 40-percent. Jones says their plan is the right one to deal with the state’s insurance crisis.

“We’re also going to require that hurricane insurance executives sign statements under oath when they apply for increases in their rates. We’re not going to allow insurance companies to increase their rates without state approval first. Right now they can increase their rates up to ten percent.”