Well, we made it through the 2011 legislative session, albeit a bit more battered and bruised than we had anticipated. With the election of Rick Scott and the dominance of the Republican Party in the Florida Legislature, the insurance industry and other businesses expected (and certainly were led to believe) that the session would focus on revving up the economy, creating jobs, and removing obstacles to corporate growth. Instead, a considerable amount of time and energy was devoted to passing ultraconservative and sometimes frivolous social regulations.

Consider: While the unemployment rate in Florida remained in double digits and the drop in property values ranked among the worst in the country, legislators found time in their brief 60-day session to pass a Saggy Pants law (HB 61/SB 228), which requires school boards to prohibit students from wearing clothes that show their underwear or body parts. I will admit I find the fashion statement ridiculous, but then I look at my pictures from the 60s … .

Moving on.

When lawmakers finally concentrated on issues of true import, Sen. Garrett Richter, R-Naples, remained a stalwart advocate for meaningful efforts to stabilize the property insurance market, and a coalition of consumer and industry groups battled hard for PIP reform. However, the outcomes of those two priorities were less than we had hoped.

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