Property insurance costs are a top concern for many Floridians. Two different efforts seek to address the issue by changing the state’s constitution.
One is spearheaded by a group that launched a citizens’ petition campaign to get help for policyholders.
The proposed constitutional amendment, which is aimed at the 2026 ballot, would prevent insurers from canceling policies of people who haven’t violated their terms. It was also bar them from raising rates for those individuals.
Additionally, people who don’t file claims in the year leading up to their renewal date would get at least a 4% deduction from their policy premiums.
"These are common-sense solutions that most folks, when they engage with an insurance carrier, believe they should already be entitled to,” said Chris Wills, chair of the Florida Constitutional Amendment Network.
The group's proposal would not just apply to property insurance but all policies, including those covering vehicles.
As a citizens’ initiative, it needs to get nearly 900,000 Floridian signatures to make the 2026 ballot. The state Supreme Court must also approve the language.
In order for it to become law, at least 60% of voters would have to approve it.
That’s a high threshold. Most states only require a simple majority. If you recall, 2024 ballot measures to allow recreational marijuana and expand abortion rights in Florida fell short of passing despite receiving a majority of the vote.
“The [insurance] crisis has gotten worse and worse, and the solution just has not come,” Wills said. “The good thing is we have this power within the Florida Constitution to take matters into our own hands.”
A different proposal
Yet, not everyone agrees the proposal is “the solution.”
Take GOP state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia of Spring Hill.
He's an influential Florida lawmaker whose name has been floated as Gov. Ron DeSantis’ possible appointment pick for chief financial officer. Current CFO Jimmy Patronis is soon leaving in a bid for U.S. Congress.
As of a Friday afternoon interview, Ingoglia said he still had to do more research on the citizens' initiative. But he was skeptical.
“I think the free market should be the one to reduce the homeowners insurance premium rates, not the government,” Ingoglia said, adding that he worried the required deductions could lead companies to go bankrupt if mixed with rising housing costs.
He believes insurance changes passed in 2022, which Democrats have questioned and criticized as company "bailouts," have been working.
But with the legislative session starting Tuesday, he’s pitching to lawmakers his own constitutional amendment to address high home insurance premiums.
Last week, he filed the amendment along with legislation to implement it. He wants to freeze property tax amounts for two decades for those elevating and hardening their homes against hurricanes.
“When you improve a home, that home now gets reassessed at a higher value, which then you pay higher property taxes,” said Ingoglia, a former chair of the Republican Party of Florida. “So there's a disincentive for people to improve their homes and harden them against hurricanes.”
He said his plan provides an incentive leading to more weather-resilient homes, reducing the amount of claims and cost of insurance premiums.
To make the ballot via the legislative process, it needs approval from three-fifths of both chambers.
It’s one of a number of plans lawmakers have filed addressing property insurance and taxation. Ingoglia has also filed a measure to increase property tax exemptions.
DeSantis has said he would support lowering or eliminating property taxes, which he called “oppressive and ineffective.” Opponents argue getting rid of the taxes would hurt local governments that rely on the revenue to fund critical services.
It's uncertain how such tax proposals would fare in the Legislature — or with voters, who ultimately have to approve such overhauls.
If you have any questions about the legislative session, you can ask the Your Florida team by clicking here.
This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Copyright 2025 WUSF 89.7
