TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed right into a regulation sweeping property insurance coverage laws that creates a $2 billion reinsurance fund and rewrites guidelines on protection denials and legal professional charges, in a transfer to stabilize rising prices and insurer losses.
DeSantis, a Republican, introduced the invoice signings in an announcement that known as the bundle “probably the most vital reforms to Florida’s owners insurance coverage market in a technology.”
The signings mark an finish to a particular legislative session on insurance coverage the place lawmakers within the GOP-controlled statehouse permitted the broad measures in three days, with little public enter or skilled evaluation. The Legislature didn’t approve insurance coverage reforms earlier this yr throughout their common assembly interval, which was dominated by intense partisan fights over payments on abortion, sexual orientation and gender id.
Within the statehouse, the payments largely moved with bipartisan help, with lawmakers describing the bundle as a significant first step in repairing a market suffering from insurer insolvencies, coverage cancelations and rising insurance coverage prices.
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The primary level of criticism from Democrats, the minority get together, was that the laws doesn’t do sufficient to grant instant monetary reduction to owners whose premiums have elevated. Republicans acknowledged it will take 12 to 18 months earlier than costs could drop.
“I don’t know what else I can do to decrease my insurance coverage,” stated Roni Sterin, an actual property agent in Broward County who stated her insurance coverage prices unexpectedly jumped about $1,500 just lately. “No one’s serving to us.”
The insurance coverage business has had two years of underwriting losses exceeding $1 billion every year and a number of other insurance coverage firms have gone bancrupt, required midterm cancellations, are in liquidation or have stopped writing new enterprise since 2021, the governor stated in his proclamation calling lawmakers again to the Capitol. The lack of non-public insurers has pushed property house owners to Residents Property Insurance coverage, a state-run public insurer meant to be a final resort.
The brand new legal guidelines would create the $2 billion Reinsurance to Help Policyholders program for insurers to buy insurance coverage to assist insulate themselves from danger. Insurers must cut back policyholders’ charges to entry the state reinsurance fund. It additionally affords grants of as much as $10,000 to outfit houses so they’re much less susceptible to hurricane harm, if the houses meet sure standards.
The laws forbids insurers from robotically denying protection due to a roof’s age if the roof is lower than 15 years outdated. Householders with roofs 15 years or older can be allowed to get an inspection earlier than insurers deny them protection.
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If an inspection reveals {that a} roof has not less than 5 years of life remaining, insurers can’t refuse to problem a coverage solely primarily based on the roof’s age. If a roof is greater than 25% broken however already complies with the state’s 2007 constructing code, it will solely must be repaired as an alternative of changed underneath an exemption to the constructing code that the proposed laws creates.
The laws additionally seeks to restrict numerous legal professional charges in insurance-related instances, which insurers blame for a lot of the speed will increase for policyholders. Supporters of the legislative bundle have ceaselessly famous that Florida accounted for 9% of all insurance coverage claims filed nationally however almost 80% of all of the property insurance coverage lawsuits.
The bundle additionally features a measure to require that each one condominiums larger than three tales statewide have periodic inspections of their structural integrity, a proposal that got here in response to the Surfside condominium collapse that killed 98 individuals almost a yr in the past.
The payments would enable for extra state oversight so regulators can spot developments, analyze causes and attempt to stop the longer term failure of insurers.
Western Carolina Catamounts (2-2) at Florida State Seminoles (6-1)
Tallahassee, Florida; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EST
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BOTTOM LINE: Western Carolina plays Florida State after Cord Stansberry scored 20 points in Western Carolina’s 82-69 loss to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
The Seminoles are 3-1 on their home court. Florida State is 5-1 when it wins the turnover battle and averages 12.4 turnovers per game.
Western Carolina finished 11-8 in SoCon action and 10-6 on the road a season ago. The Catamounts averaged 11.3 assists per game on 28.2 made field goals last season.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
It’s been a good couple weeks for the Florida Gators.
First, they take down No. 22 LSU, 27-16, with a bend but don’t break approach. Then, they follow that up by upsetting No. 9 Ole Miss, 24-17. With that latter win, heads really began to turn. It was one thing to put up fights against Tennessee and Georgia, but now, they’re beginning to take down these formidable opponents.
The analysts are starting to talk them up. ESPN’s College Gameday analyst Kirk Herbstreit is ready to hand head coach Billy Napier the award for coach of the year. He made sure to include that he thinks quarterback DJ Lagway is going to be something special.
“Can a guy with a team that will finish 7-5 win the coach of the year award? He should!!” Herbstreit said in a tweet. “Billy Napier and [the Florida Gators, after being 4-5 and losing two straight, have beaten LSU and Ole Miss. So impressive to see this fight from the Gators and their fans after having a tough year. And, oh yeah, DJ Lagway is the REAL DEAL!”
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Big Cat from Barstool Sports jumped on X (formerly Twitter) and said, “The Florida Gators may need a playoff berth.”
Now, that can be written off as two guys getting excited, but key writers are noticing too. Florida received votes in the latest AP Poll.
Brian Brian Fonesca of the NJ.com/Star-Ledger and Ian Kress of WLNS-TV (a CBS affiliate in Lansing, Michigan) ranked them No. 25. David Paschall of the Chattanooga Times Free Press ranked them No. 24. It’s only four points, but they’re the only five-loss team to receive votes.
Unofficially, they’re ranked No. 33 in the country. If they had beaten Tennessee or Georgia to have that slightly better 7-4 record, could very well be in the top 25 right now. It’s hard to vote for a 6-5 team, that’s totally fair, but the willingness to do so by a handful of writers is a good starting point. If they win out, including a quality bowl win, to finish 8-5, finishing ranked is realistic.
Those who are signing on now are seeing what could be on the horizon in 2025. This is how they are playing now. This team might have won eight or nine games had this been yearlong. Wait until they play the portal some more this summer to bring in more talent, Napier gets that offensive coordinator and Lagway comes in with nearly a year of play under his belt.
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The Florida Gators have put the country on notice. They gave Napier the time to rebuild after Dan Mullen’s collapse, and that time is beginning to pay off.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida players eager to celebrate their latest victory, the one that made them bowl eligible for the first time in two years, found a suitable prop on the sideline.
Ole Miss left behind its basketball hoop, which the Rebels use to salute big plays during games.
The Gators set it up, grabbed some footballs and held their own dunk contest near the end zone. It provided an apt stage — perfect for showcasing finishing moves — after they closed out another ranked opponent.
Florida (6-5, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) dominated the second half for the second consecutive week and got to party in the Swamp following a 24-17 victory over then-ninth-ranked Mississippi on Saturday.
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Not only did the Gators knock the Rebels (8-3, 4-3) out of the College Football Playoff picture, they won their fourth consecutive home game and raised expectations for coach Billy Napier’s fourth season in Gainesville.
And the manner in which they accomplished it mattered. Napier has been preaching about “finishing,” something that had mostly eluded the Gators in the past two years.
Florida lost four games in 2023 after leading in the second half, including three — against Arkansas, Missouri and Florida State — in the fourth quarter.
Florida quarterback DJ Lagway (2) and teammates Trikweze Bridges (7), Aidan Mizell (11) and Jadan Baugh (13) celebrate their 24-17 win against Mississippi in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Gainesville, Fla. Credit: AP/Phelan M. Ebenhack
And no one following the program has forgotten how close the Gators were to upsetting Tennessee and Georgia earlier this season, losing 23-17 to the Volunteers in overtime and fading against the Bulldogs after being tied at 20 with five minutes to play.
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Napier hoped all those gut punches would ultimately lead to something better, and they finally did — with late-game knockouts against LSU and Mississippi.
“Eventually you get sick of that,” receiver Chimere Dike said. “To be able to get these last two wins is huge for our team and our program. I’m proud of the resilience the guys showed, the way that we performed.”
Florida held Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin’s high-scoring offense to three points in the second half. The Rebels turned the ball over twice — interceptions by Bryce Thornton on the final two drives — punted twice and got stuffed on another fourth-down run.
Florida defensive back Bryce Thornton (18) intercepts a pass on Mississippi’s final drive during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Gainesville, Fla. Credit: AP/Phelan M. Ebenhack
“I thought we were better on both sides up front, and short-yardage defense is a big component,” Napier said. “Those are identity plays. I think we had guys step up and make plays.”
Added defensive tackle Cam Jackson said: “Everybody just pinned their ears back. That was great.”
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It was reminiscent of the previous week against then-No. 21 LSU. Florida held the Tigers to six points in the second half and forced a fumble, a punt and a turnover on downs in a 27-16 victory.
“We just all came together and wanted to change how Florida was looked at,” Thornton said. “That’s the biggest thing with us, just trying to show everybody that we can do it.”
The Gators ended the afternoon showing off their basketball moves.
Cornerback Trikweze Bridges, receiver Marcus Burke, defensive end Justus Boone, tight end Tony Livingston and linebacker Shemar James delivered monster dunks. Aidan Mizell passed a football between his leg in midair before his slam, and fellow receiver Elijhah Badger bounced it off the backboard before rousing teammates and fans with his finish.
“Belief is the most powerful thing in the world,” Napier said. “At some point there, midseason, we figured (that) out and we started to believe. Look, we can play with any team in the country.”
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