Appointed and elected officials, property owners, and insurance groups in Florida continue to take sides in the ever-widening sinkhole debate. Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the state-created insurer with almost 1.4 million policyholders, has proposed rate increases for sinkhole coverage that supporters say are necessary and opponents call grossly excessive.

By law, Citizens cannot raise its rates by more than 10 percent a year. However, legislators passed SB 408 during the 2011 session, which excludes sinkhole coverage from that cap.

Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, was a vocal opponent of SB 408. In addition to the language concerning sinkhole rate increases, the bill specifically defines "structural damage" in an attempt to narrow the definition of a sinkhole loss. Additionally, the bill requires a policyholder to pay 50 percent of sinkhole testing costs up to $2,500 if the policyholder requests testing after an insurer denies the sinkhole claim. Further, sinkhole claims must be filed within 2 years of the covered loss. Citizens has long struggled with inadequate rates overall, and supporters claim that SB 408 provides a means for its governing board to address at least one aspect of coverage.