TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — Home lawmakers gathered on the statehouse Friday for a listening to to look right into a bombshell report that Florida insurance coverage firms had been “ripping off” Floridians and deceptive the legislature, claiming to be broke.
In a three-hour lengthy listening to throughout the Home Insurance coverage and Banking Committee, the state’s present and former OIR commissioners stood earlier than the legislature.
Lawmakers constantly begged the query, “Why was this report by no means dropped at their consideration?” In response, the present commissioner defined the report was imperfect and was nonetheless in draft mode.
“I’ll make myself, my crew, whoever out there to you, to go over any report now we have,” mentioned OIR Commissioner Michael Yaworsky.
Insurance coverage is a high concern for Floridians statewide, which sparked the decision on lawmakers to press insurance coverage leaders.
“Our objective as we speak is to search out out if insurance coverage firms have been allegedly ripping us off, ripping the residents of Florida off,” mentioned State Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Delray Seashore.
Lawmakers referred to as on the OIR to finish and launch the so referred to as “secret examine,” questioning them on who stopped the progress within the first place.
“We have now seemed exhausting and quick, I have no idea,” Yaworsky mentioned.
Each Democrats and Republicans continued to press the commissioner’s, all desirous to resolve this uncertainty.
“Why did the investigation cease? Why did not we get a accomplished report? What occurred? Who made that call to say this is not necessary sufficient?” mentioned State Consultant Susan Valdes, R-Tampa.
In response, Former Insurance coverage Commissioner David Altmaier mentioned, “I might say no person made that call, and candidly, once I was requested to return and communicate right here as we speak, that is the one query that I have never been capable of give you a solution to.”
Altmaier added that he thought the work was persevering with after his resignation and knew how necessary this report was.
“Was the governor’s workplace ever notified? Particularly since we had been in an insurance coverage disaster on the time,” requested State Consultant Dianne Hart, D-Tampa.
After the hours of backwards and forwards, present Commissioner Michael Yaworsky shared with lawmakers that he doesn’t take into account the product of the report good, however fairly extremely imperfect.
“As I mentioned earlier, if the legislature says they need this, we are going to conduct the evaluations once more,” Yaworsky mentioned.
Firing again, Consultant Caruso mentioned, “I believe we would like it, I believe we’re all screaming for it. I can see everybody’s heads nodding.”
Lawmakers guarantee that is solely just the start of the investigation. State Consultant Brad Yeager, the Insurance coverage and Banking Chair, shared with reporters that the committee will meet additional on the matter as wanted within the weeks to return.
