WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS 12) — State lawmakers are warning the clock is ticking for the state to address a growing property insurance crisis before the impending hurricane season.
State Senator Jeff Brandes (R – St. Petersburg) sent an email to fellow legislators Friday, polling them on whether or not they would return to Tallahassee and take up the property insurance issue.
The legislature did not address property insurance during its 60-day regular legislative session that ended in early March.
At least five insurance providers have pulled out of Florida, leaving thousands to find new coverage. The companies that remain, including the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, are drastically raising their rates, pricing many out of their policies.
Nancy Hultman, a Citizen’s customer in Boca Raton, recently told CBS 12 News she’s been forced to move out of Florida because of the high cost of her policy.
“It’s just ridiculous. you shouldn’t be in a forced situation by an insurance company,” she told CBS 12’s Lexi Nahl.
CBS 12 News contacted every lawmaker representing Palm Beach County and some from the Treasure Coast, asking if they would support a special session to address property insurance.
Of the lawmakers CBS 12 News contacted, nine responded. Nearly every single Democrat who responded said they would support a special session, to be held as soon as possible.
Rep, Matt Willhite (D-Wellington), Ranking Member of the Insurance and Banking Subcommittee, said he would also be in favor of a special session, if lawmakers had a clear legislative plan to address the property insurance issue. He said, so far, he has not seen such a plan from his colleagues.
Two Republicans responded: Rep. John Snyder (R- Stuart) and Rep. Rick Roth (R – West Palm Beach). Both said they wanted to tackle property insurance, with Snyder saying he would support a special session if the governor called for one.
Some lawmakers have also signaled they expect to tackle the property insurance issue after the November election, which would come just before the end of hurricane season.
Governor Ron DeSantis has said he’s interested in fixing the state’s property insurance issues, but has not said when. Lawmakers already plan on returning to Tallahassee in mid-April for a special session on redistricting, but there’s been no indication so far that property insurance would be included in that.
Meanwhile, Democrats accuse Governor DeSantis and Republican leadership of sidestepping the issue, allowing it to go unaddressed when lawmakers were in Tallahassee over the last few months.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t spend enough time focusing on it when we had everybody’s attention during the 60 day legislative session. This was really issue number 1 and we just ignored it,” State Senator Tina Polsky (D-Boca Raton), told CBS 12 News. “When [Gov. DeSantis] wants something done it gets done and he was concerned with culture war red meat type issues.”
Polsky also indicated she’s in favor of a special session on property insurance.