No matter where you look, prices are going up and we all feel it where it hurts. Homeowner's Insurance, whether you pay for it directly or as an invisible cost-driver of your increased rent, is increasing hundreds if not thousands of dollars per Floridian per year. 

I ran a bill to suspend the gas-tax and save you $$$ at the pump. I also co-sponsored the largest property tax break in state history to make housing more affordable for our military families, teachers, and first responders. We're doing everything we can, but one of the biggest drivers in the state that we have control over is the rising price of homeownership and insurance. 

Last year, I broke with the majority of my own party to vote for reforms via Senate Bill 76. Back then, my friend who you'll hear from tomorrow put together about a dozen local realtors, insurance agents, attorneys, and roofers. We all got together on a Saturday at the Beef 'O' Brady's on Bell Shoals. I honestly drove home from Tallahassee just for that one meeting. That's how important the issue was to me then, and how important it remains today.

I met with so many of the different vying stakeholders to help find balance in the bill. Ultimately, I fought for reforms but put my foot down on an issue I felt would disadvantage families who lost roofs in hurricanes–just as my family once did–and could not afford to replace them. Ultimately, I was able to negotiate that protection into the bill and proudly voted for the final product.

Now, as was true then, this is a complicated issue, there are pros and cons of every "fix," none of this is partisan, and there is no "right" and "wrong." It's a balance we have to get right.

So, over the next few days I'm going to share with you a variety of perspectives. I'm going to lay out the roadmap so nobody is allowed to cherry-pick any one email or social media post you agree with or want to troll me about–because as I said, this story is about the need for balance.

We'll start with the case for reform featuring an interview I did with a local homeowners insurance agent who's on the frontlines of rising prices and dropped coverages.

From there, I'll be speaking with a local consumer advocate who represents homeowners who've suffered fires, floods, and damage about making sure that our reforms are balanced with the need to protect you and your family if the worst ever happens.

Then, we'll broaden out to talk long-term and big picture about the elephant in the room: hurricanes are becoming more frequent and more severe due to climate change. 

Finally, I'll lay it all out with the politics of the situation. Who's in what camp, and how we chart a course forward.

So get ready, buckle up, subscribe, and let's get into the homeowners insurance Special Session starting next week!