A few years ago, Florida’s insurance market was on the verge of collapse. Homeowners faced skyrocketing premiums, insurers were going bankrupt or fleeing the state, and Citizens, the state-backed insurer of last resort, was growing at an unsustainable pace.

The problem wasn’t hurricanes or bad luck — it was a broken legal system that incentivized fraud and endless lawsuits, threatening homeownership and the broader economy.

Then, in a rare moment of political clarity, Florida lawmakers acted. Between 2019 and 2022, they enacted sweeping reforms to stabilize the market. They took on the trial bar, curbed predatory lawsuits, and eliminated one-way attorney fees that had turned Florida into the lawsuit capital of the country.

The result? The insurance market began to recover.

But now, some want to roll back these reforms. That would be a mistake. If Florida needs a cautionary tale, it should look no further than California.

For years, California has buried its insurance market under layers of regulation, making it nearly impossible for insurers to operate sustainably. The state prohibits insurers from using predictive risk modeling, meaning they must base rates on outdated historical data rather than account for rising wildfire risks. The process for rate approvals can take years, forcing companies to either write policies at a loss or exit the market entirely. Many have chosen the latter.

The result? Insurers are abandoning California, leaving homeowners with fewer choices and higher premiums. Hundreds of thousands of policyholders have been forced into the California FAIR Plan, the state-run insurer of last resort, which was never designed to handle this level of demand. As the private market shrinks, the burden on the FAIR Plan grows, pushing costs even higher.

California’s challenges aren’t just about regulation. The state faces rising wildfire risks and soaring rebuilding costs, making home insurance more expensive. However, instead of adapting, California has doubled down on outdated policies that make it even harder for insurers to operate. That’s why well-established insurers like State Farm and Allstate have stopped writing new policies in the state.

This isn’t consumer protection. It’s a slow-motion collapse of the state’s insurance system, driven by policies that ignore economic reality.

Florida, by contrast, has spent years digging itself out of an insurance crisis. In 2022, only 16,000 policies moved from Citizens back into the private market. By 2024, that number had surged to 477,000 — a nearly 3,000% increase. Insurance lawsuit filings have dropped by nearly 70%, reducing one of the biggest cost drivers of higher premiums.

These reforms didn’t just happen. They required political courage, standing up to entrenched interests that benefited from the old system. But now, those same interests want to unwind these policies, claiming they went too far. If they succeed, Florida will be right back where it started.

There’s another piece of the puzzle that often goes unnoticed: reinsurance.

Florida insurers rely on reinsurance — essentially, insurance for insurance companies — to spread the risk of major storms. Most of this reinsurance comes from global markets, where investors constantly evaluate risk. These companies are not charities; they will raise rates if they believe Florida’s legal and regulatory environment is becoming unstable again.

Since Florida’s reforms, reinsurers have responded positively, providing more affordable coverage to primary insurers. But if policymakers reverse course, it would send a clear signal to reinsurers that Florida is returning to its old ways — giving them an excuse to hike rates. Those costs would be passed directly to homeowners.

Florida either sticks with policies that stabilize the market or follows California’s path into crisis. The state must avoid overregulation that drives insurers out and forces homeowners into state-backed coverage. A thriving market requires competition, stability, and predictability, not artificial price controls that distort incentives.

Florida lawmakers took bold action to fix the insurance crisis. Now, they need to have the discipline to stay the course. The reforms are working. The system is stabilizing. The momentum is real.

The worst thing Florida could do now is throw it all away.

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Former state Sen. Jeff Brandes is the founder and president of the Florida Policy Project.

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After some expansion to start the year, First Coast manufacturers appear to be stagnant in terms of production and other factors in February, according to a University of North Florida (UNF) survey.

UNF Coggin College of Business researchers found that North Florida manufactures did not show much growth last month compared to January. The UNF Jacksonville Economic Monitoring Survey found that several key manufacturing factors contracted. That includes new orders, which fell from the index figure of 56 to 49. Backlogs of work also fell, from 48 to 46, and employment dropped from an index of 51 in January to 48 in February.

Some manufacturing elements expanded slightly, such as output, new export orders and prices.

Albert Loh, interim dean of the UNF business college, oversees the monthly manufacturing survey and concluded that February was generally flat at First Coast companies.

“Jacksonville’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) of 50 in February indicates a holding pattern, with no significant expansion or contraction in overall manufacturing activity,” Loh said.

February saw several national developments, such as President Donald Trump’s promises to enact trade tariffs, that caused the Jacksonville area to reflect the bigger picture of uncertainty across America.

“The Jacksonville economy mirrors the national trend of stable output but weakened demand. The slight increase in supplier delivery times and input prices, along with continued uncertainty over tariffs, has led businesses to take a cautious approach to inventory management and hiring, contributing to a subdued outlook,” Loh said.

The UNF’s business college conducts monthly surveys of First Coast manufacturers to determine production levels and other factors.

While February saw a slowdown in manufacturing, Loh added that there are areas for improvement that may change in the coming months.

“While manufacturing employment declined slightly, the contraction was less severe than that at the national level, indicating that local manufacturers may be holding onto workers better than their national counterparts. The Business Activity Outlook Index also suggests that manufacturers anticipate some improvement over the next 12 months, though uncertainty around tariffs and economic policy is keeping expectations subdued,” Loh said.

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An organization of young conservatives from Florida’s most famous city is getting behind U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds’ bid for Governor.

Miami Young Republicans, self-described as comprising the city’s “next-gen business and political leaders,” is endorsing Donalds to succeed Ron DeSantis as the state’s next top elected executive.

The group cited Donalds’ support of school choice and parental empowerment, his anti-abortion views and his environmental stewardship as key to clinching its support.

“Since starting his political career as a Young Republican, Congressman Donalds has exemplified a strong work ethic and conservative values that reflect the best in our club,” Miami Young Republicans President Tony Figueroa said in a statement.

“During his time in Congress, he has stood firm representing his district and the good that Florida stands for, serving as a true patriot in our nation’s capital. We look forward to working alongside his campaign and delivering victory in his gubernatorial race.”

Miami Young Republicans comprises more than 30 members in elected office, over 300 “emerging leaders, political staffers and young professionals,” and some 50,000 members of a “highly engaged online community,” according to the organization’s website.

Donalds’ relationship with the group solidified when it welcomed Donalds to keynote an event the group hosted Aug. 3, 2023. Other GOP notables that attended and spoke at the event included consultant Roger Stone and former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera, whom President Donald Trump tapped in December to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Panama.

The group’s endorsement of Donalds comes ahead of the potential gubernatorial campaign launches of several other GOP notables, including First Lady Casey DeSantis, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz and former Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward.

It also comes more than a week before Donalds’ hometown kickoff rally in Bonita Springs.

Others backing Donalds include Trump; Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino; state Sens. Randy Fine and Joe Gruters; state Reps. Yvette Benarroch, Berny Jacques and Toby Overdorf; Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer; former state Rep. Spencer Roach; former Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler; Donald Trump Jr.; Fox News’ Lara Trump; Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk; conservative commentator Benny Johnson; Club for Growth PAC; the Black Conservative Federation; and Club 47 USA.

Donalds’ campaign has been working to cement his position as the Republican Primary front-runner before any real competition enters the race against him. To that end, the campaign released internal polling last week showing how, when informed of the President’s endorsement of him, likely Primary voters prefer Donalds over Casey DeSantis in a theoretical head-to-head clash by a nearly 2-to-1 ratio.

Democrats rumored or confirmed to be mulling a run include Senate Democratic Leader Jason Pizzo, Miami Gardens state Sen. Shevrin Jones, Jacksonville state Rep. Angie Nixon, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham.

The 2026 Primary Election is on Aug. 18. The General Election is on Nov. 3.

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