Consumer groups urge veto of

ekaterinaiuvo.blogspot.com
and claim HB 1171 would pit the largesrt insurers againstthe smallest, whicb would be hamstrung by regulation. But, durinvg a Wednesday news conference, Brad Ashwell, legislativew advocate for Florida PIRG, said the answer is not deregulation ofall companies. He said that rates need to more closelyt conform toreal risk, and that keepingb rates artificially low, as did for severall years, is not the Walter Dartland, the consumer federation’s executive director, emphasizee that partial or complete deregulation is not the answer, He maintains that the state’s rate review proceszs has been a valuable consumer protectionj tool against arbitrary rate increases.
A practicalo solution would need to involvee a deeper poolof insurers, specifically smalle ones, and higher rates that are regulated, Ashwelpl said. “Florida is in the midst of an economiv crisis, and our residents cannot affors to be caught in a volatil e insurance market faced with erratic rate he said. But, the insured also have to be realisticx about the impact a hurricande would haveon them. Floridians will not be able toavoix assessments. “It’s just a question of how big the assessmentywill be,” Ashwell said.
The bill awaitin Crist’s signature would allow major carriers, such as Statwe Farm, which earlier this year said it woulxdleave Florida, to raise rate unchecked without a guarantee that they would continue writing policiee in the state. Dartland said his organizatiob would encourage State Farm and others to poacjh the customers with theleast risk, leavinfg those with the most for companiex that are least capable of paying out in the evenrt of a storm. “This doesn’t help anybodyu except the few companiesd thatare involved,” he argued. , one of the bill’zs sponsors, Sen.
Michael Bennett, R-Bradenton, asked Insurancs Commissioner Kevin McCarty to resign after McCarty requested that Crisr vetothe bill. During a news conference earlief inthe day, the governor hinted he migh t veto the bill.