Merlin Law Group’s Policyholders of Florida Issues Report Card on Insurance-Related Legislative Votes
Jan 14, 2013
Policyholders of Florida, the advocacy group led by Merlin Law Group attorney and former Florida Insurance Consumer Advocate Sean Shaw, issued a report card today, January 14, 2013, in which various Florida legislators were graded on their voting record relating to property insurance issues.
In a Tampa Bay Times interview today on the report, Mr. Shaw said “We track important insurance votes throughout the year so Floridians can see whether or not their lawmakers went to Tallahassee to fight for them or not–clearly many lawmakers are failing. We need lawmakers to focus on stabilizing the market for consumers and encouraging the responsible expansion of the private market in Florida.”
To view the report, click here.
The Tampa Bay Times blog is reprinted below.
Should you have any questions or comments, please contact Colodny Fass& Webb.
Consumer group: Lawmakers get low marks for insurance votes
A consumer advocacy group has released a report grading lawmakers for how they voted on property insurance issues last year.
The annual report card from Policyholders of Florida gives lawmakers ratings based on their votes on several controversial bills that could have pushed insurance rates higher for homeowners.
In the 40-member Senate-seven lawmakers received and ‘A,’ and 11 received an ‘F.’
In the 12-member House, 35 lawmakers received an ‘A’ and 63 received an ‘F.’
“Consumers don’t find out who their friends are during campaigns, they find out during legislative session,” said Sean Shaw, founder of Policyholders of Florida. “We track important insurance votes throughout the year so Floridians can see whether or not their lawmakers went to Tallahassee to fight for them or not – clearly many lawmakers are failing. We need lawmakers to focus on stabilizing the market for consumers and encouraging the responsible expansion of the private market in Florida.”
Outspoken critics of the insurance industry, like Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, received ‘A’ grades, while those pushing for industry-backed proposals and higher rates at Citizens Property Insurance Corp. got ‘F’ grades.
Many of the lawmakers receiving high grades are from South Florida and Tampa Bay, coastal areas where insurance rates are the highest in the state.
Lawmakers from inland parts of the state and Republicans were more likely to have lower grades.
See the report card here.
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