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The Governor vetoed legislation earlier this year that lawmakers said would protect customers in the state run Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. As Matt Galka tells us, the Governor’s veto pen has not deterred state representatives from bringing the bill back.

Citizens property insurance shed more than a million policies in the past 4 years. Less than 600 thousand Floridians are enrolled in the state’s “insurer of last resort.” But lawmakers want to make sure the remaining policy holders are protected.

“They’ve run over consumers for way too long, and the time has come that they have rules that are made by the legislature,” said Rep. Dwight Dudley (D-St. Petersburg).

Two democrats are pushing a bill that would stop “takeout insurers” from soliciting customers more than once every six months and allow Floridians to return to citizens if a private insurer jacks up premiums after a switch.

“There’s a long history that we have with these takeout companies. They’re small, they’re of recent origin, and really the taxpayers are on the hook on the back end when a lot of these companies go belly up,” said Rep. Jose Rodriguez (D-Miami).

An identical bill passed last year unanimously out of both chambers but it was vetoed by the Governor.

Governor Rick Scott said at the time he was worried the bill would create more of a reliance on the state run insurer.

“Well we supported the bill last year, and now we’re going to be watching as we move forward here and we’ll be working with all stakeholders,” said Citizens spokesman Michael Peltier.

Part of the bill also includes Citizens providing uniform mailers to customers. The company says its overhauling mailers this month anyway. The letters have been mistaken for junk mail in the past.

The Republican sponsors of the bill that was vetoed earlier this year have yet to officially support the revived bill. The Democratic sponsors said they have reached out to the Governor’s office and are hoping he “flip-flops” on the issue.