TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) – House lawmakers gathered at the state capitol on Friday to hear a bomb report claiming Florida insurance companies “rip” Florida people and mislead Congress.
During the three-hour hearing during the House Insurance and Banking Committee, the state’s current and former OIR commissioners stood before the legislature.
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Lawmakers were constantly pleading for the question, “Why did this report never draw their attention?” In response, the current commissioner explained that the report was incomplete and was still in draft mode.
“I will make myself up for my team, anyone you have, for any report we have,” said OIR Commissioner Michael Jawolski.
Insurance is the biggest concern for Floridians across the state, which has called on lawmakers to report on insurance leaders.
“Our aim today is to see if insurance companies allegedly tore us and rip us apart the citizens of Florida,” said R-Delray Beach Rep. Mike Caruso.
Lawmakers called on the OIR to complete and release what is called “secret research,” and asked them about who halted progress in the first place.
“We looked fierce and fast, I don’t know,” Yaworsky said.
Both Democrats and Republicans wanted to reach this bottom of uncertainty.
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“Why did the investigation stop? Why didn’t we receive the completed report? What happened? Who made that decision to say this wasn’t important enough?” said R-Tampa State Assemblyman Susan Valdez.
In response, former insurance chief David Altmeyer said, “When I was asked to come here today and talk, no one would say that he’d made that decision. That’s one question I couldn’t come up with.”
Altmaier added that he believes his job will continue even after he resigns and knows how important the report is.
“Have you ever been notified of the governor’s office ever been notified, especially since we were in an insurance crisis at the time,” asked D-Tampa president Dianne Hart.
After hours, current commissioner Michael Jawolski shared with lawmakers that he believes the product of the report is not necessarily good and is extremely incomplete.
“As I said earlier, if Congress says they want this, we’ll do an assessment again,” Yaworsky said.
Rep. Caruso fought back and said, “We want it. I think we’re all screaming. You can see everyone’s heads nod.”
Lawmakers assure us that this is just the beginning of the investigation. State Representative Brad Yeager, chairman of insurance and banks, shared with reporters that the committee will meet more about the issues as needed in the coming weeks.
