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Insurance reform backers get help

By DAVID DeCAMP
Published September 13, 2006

PORT RICHEY - Petitions urging state leaders to stop Floridians' escalating homeowners insurance bills have been given to state Rep. John Legg after being kept under wraps this summer.

Leaders of Homeowners Against Citizens Florida, a Pasco County group, originally turned down Legg's request for the petitions in July. The activists said they wanted to protect the signers from political junk mail and did not understand that Legg wanted to take the petitions to top Florida lawmakers.

But after meeting with Legg last week, they reached an agreement and turned over thousands of papers calling for a special legislative session to address the insurance problem.

"Right now, we have 17,000 signatures - and still counting," said Chris Kowalczyk, vice president of the nonpartisan group.

Kowalczyk said Legg received 15,000 of those signatures. Legg estimated 10,000 but said he had not actually counted them.

With the signatures in hand, Legg was trying to arrange a meeting of activists, himself and incoming Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-Coral Gables, as early as today.

But state leaders have rebuffed the homeowners' previous attempts at meeting.

The petitions urge state lawmakers to convene a special session of the Legislature this year to reform an insurance system where rates have escalated, especially in Pasco County. The homeowners group especially wants changes to Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the state-run insurer of last resort.

Gov. Jeb Bush has said he will not call a special session until a general plan for reform is created. A Bush task force is considering changes.

Homeowners Against Citizens leaders will have a protest rally from 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 7 at the West Pasco Government Center in New Port Richey.

[Last modified September 13, 2006, 01:25:31]