PENSACOLA, Fla. — We’re days away from the start of the 2024 Florida legislative session.
State representative Alex Andrade sat down with WEAR News on Monday to give insight into some of the key Florida issues that’ll be top of mind for many this new year.
Owning a home in Florida has gotten a lot pricier compared to other parts of the country. WEAR News has reported on the high home insurance premiums.
Florida homeowners pay an average of $6,000 a year to insure their homes. The insurance information institute reports that’s more than triple the national average.
“There are three main drivers for cost for property insurance — hurricanes that hit our state, the litigation environment and the cost to re-insure losses these companies actually sustain,” Rep. Andrade said.
Andrade is trying to find a way to use money on the table to help homeowners.
“We have some leftover money from this Florida optional reinsurance assistance program that we funded a year and a half ago,” he said.
One possibility is to reconstitute that program and make it more appealing for insurers to use.
“Because if they use it, they’ll have a savings that they’ll have to pass on to consumers,” Andrade said.
The topic of public safety is something that will continue to be a key legislative issue for Andrade.
He was instrumental in getting funding to bring the ShotSpotter program to Northwest Florida law enforcement agencies.
“I was excited to bring that to the city and the sheriff’s department,” Andrade said. “I was excited to get it funded, and now I’m excited to watch it pan out.”
It’ll be a busy year for Andrade, who controls a very large budget as part of his job in the legislature.
“The governor has put in his proposed, requested budget, which is a $114 billion request this year,” he said. “That’s really just a suggestion. We as the legislature have probably within a range of about $110-$120 billion to craft a budget.”
Andrade is the chair of the committee that controls the bank account for the Florida Department of Transportation, the Florida Department of Military Affairs, and Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and more.
He also approves every arts and culture grant that gets funded in the state.
It’s all part of a job set to get busier when the new Florida legislative session begins in just over a week.
“I get to work on a budget that really has a direct impact on people’s daily lives,” Andrade said.
Part of that workload also includes figuring out how many special projects will ultimately get funded in Florida.
Alice J. Roden started working for Trending Insurance News at the end of 2021. Alice grew up in Salt Lake City, UT. A writer with a vast insurance industry background Alice has help with several of the biggest insurance companies. Before joining Trending Insurance News, Alice briefly worked as a freelance journalist for several radio stations. She covers home, renters and other property insurance stories.