Even on a summertime visit to Great Britain, Gov. Jeb Bush could not escape hurricanes. At Lloyd's of London he fielded questions surrounding the recent Florida Building Commission's decision to uphold the Florida Panhandle's exemption from fully implementing the state's stringent building code requirements. Recounting the story at a Cabinet meeting, Bush said the issue came up during a meeting with a representative of the reinsurance giant, who bluntly stated, “You guys need to strengthen your building code.”
The Lloyd's rep was preaching to the choir. Bush has publicly expressed frustration that Florida Building Commission members voted by a 15-3 margin in July to sustain a “carve-out” exemption for the Panhandle. With the special carve-out, builders in the Panhandle counties do not have to install shutters or impact-resistant glass on all new construction. Instead, that requirement only is in place in a narrow band about one mile from the Gulf where winds can reach up to 130 mph.
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