Florida Ballot Amendments Seek to Lower Property Insurance Costs
Two distinct proposals are vying to reshape Florida’s property insurance landscape through constitutional amendments, igniting debate on how best to tackle the escalating costs for homeowners.
One of the proposed amendments, spearheaded by the Florida Constitutional Amendment Network, seeks to provide direct relief to policyholders. The measure would prohibit insurance companies from canceling or raising rates for customers who have adhered to their policy terms. Moreover, it includes a provision for a minimum 4% premium reduction for policyholders who haven’t filed any claims in the year before their renewal date.
“These are common-sense solutions that most folks, when they engage with an insurance carrier, believe they should already be entitled to,” said Chris Wills, chair of the Florida Constitutional Amendment Network.
The amendment, designed for the 2026 ballot, would apply to all insurance policies, including those covering vehicles. As a citizen-led initiative, the group must gather nearly 900,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot. It will also require approval from the state Supreme Court regarding its language. To become law, the amendment needs the support of at least 60% of Florida voters – a higher bar than the simple majority seen in most states, and a hurdle that derailed similar measures in 2024.
“The [insurance] crisis has gotten worse and worse, and the solution just has not come,” Wills said. “The good thing is we have this power within the Florida Constitution to take matters into our own hands.”
Competing Proposal from State Senator
However, not everyone sees the citizens’ initiative as the best solution. State Senator Blaise Ingoglia, a Republican representing Hernando County, expressed skepticism about the plan.
Ingoglia, whose name has been mentioned as a possible candidate for Chief Financial Officer, believes in a free-market approach to reducing homeowners insurance premiums. He worries that required deductions could lead to bankruptcies for insurance companies, particularly when combined with rising housing costs. He believes previous insurance changes passed in 2022 are working.
Ingoglia is proposing his own constitutional amendment to address high home insurance premiums. He is pitching a plan to lawmakers to freeze property tax amounts for two decades for homeowners who elevate and harden their homes against hurricanes.
“When you improve a home, that home now gets reassessed at a higher value, which then you pay higher property taxes,” Ingoglia explained. By disincentivizing improvements, the current system can make homes more vulnerable. His plan hopes to provide an incentive leading to more weather-resilient homes, which can then reduce the amount of claims and cost of premiums.
To reach the ballot, Ingoglia’s plan would need approval from three-fifths of both chambers of the legislature. His proposal is one of several measures filed by lawmakers addressing insurance and taxation. Ingoglia has also filed a measure to increase property tax exemptions.
Meanwhile, Governor Ron DeSantis has expressed support for lowering or eliminating property taxes, calling them “oppressive and ineffective.” Opponents of such moves are concerned about their impact on local government, which relies on these revenues to fund essential services.
The fate of these tax proposals, and their reception with voters, remains uncertain. The Florida Legislature is currently in session; discussions on these and other related measures are ongoing.
