Florida News That Impacts You – December 1st, 2023
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- Citizens Property Insurance, the state’s insurer of last resort, is rapidly shedding policies following numerous companies entering the state to assume and underwrite new policies following reforms passed by the legislature over the previous two years. Nearly 93,000 policies have been moved from Citizens to private insurers over the past week bringing the total Citizens policy count to 1.25 million policies, or about 16% of Florida’s property insurance market. This marks the first time since 2019 that Citizen's policy count has been in decline. Additional policies will be moved in December and January.
- Florida’s Supreme Court ruled that Marsy’s Law can’t be used to conceal the identities of law enforcement officers who use lethal force. The law, which is designed to protect the identities of public sector employees against retaliation, was passed as a constitutional amendment in 2018. The case involved two Tallahassee officers who used lethal force in a 2020 incident.
- A ribbon cutting ceremony took place at the Jupiter Medical Center Thursday for the Johnny and Terry Gray Surgical Institute. The surgical institute is said to be a cutting-edge surgical center that cost $100 million to build. The project commenced in April of last year, an official opening date has yet to be announced.
- After a cold front brought below average temperatures earlier this week, warmer than usual temperatures, in the low to mid 80’s will be in play today through the weekend with a chance of showers increasing as well. Another cold front will make its way into Florida next week. Today also marks the first day of meteorological winter. The start of the winter solstice is December 21st.
- Gas prices have backed off a penny. After a rapid rise earlier this week prices are a penny lower this morning at $3.16 per gallon - 14 cents higher than a week ago. In Palm Beach County the average price is $3.34 per gallon, in Martin the average is $3.21 and in Indian River County the average is $3.18 per gallon.