When House and Senate lawmakers in the closing hours of the 2006 legislative session finally reached a deal that resulted in the passage of a 156-page homeowners' property insurance bill, lawmakers, regulators, and other state officials expressed a deep sigh of relief that they could declare victory and go home. The passage of the bill was all the more important since the lawmakers needed some accomplishment they could point to in order to convince voters they deserve another term in Tallahassee. Little wonder then that the lineup to take a victory lap was long, with no less than the highly-popular Gov. Jeb Bush taking the first lap to congratulate the Republican-led legislature for spending months on the topic and hammering out a comprehensive agreement on the issue.

"Two unprecedented back-to-back hurricane seasons with eight hurricanes and four tropical storms pushed Florida to the brink of an insurance crisis," said Bush. "These reforms will help to ensure the state's long-term economic vitality as we continue to deal with this increased hurricane activity."

Following Bush's remarks were comments by Senate President Tom Lee (R-Tampa) and House Speaker Allan Bense (R-Panama City). And that is not to mention Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher, who is currently waging a hard fought campaign for the Republican nomination for governor against Republican Charlie Crist. "This legislature was given a very complex and difficult task. After eight hurricanes inflicted $30 billion of insured losses, there were no easy solutions," Gallagher said. "Our priority must now be preparing Floridians for the upcoming storm season. All the changes made to our insurance market will mean little if Floridians don't take the time to prepare."