Insurance Reform: All Eyes On Montgomery

By Jessica Taloney Reporter

Gulf Coast homeowners will have their eyes on Montgomery next week as Alabama representatives take their turn in the battle over insurance reform. Insurance Reform: All Eyes On Montgomery

Published: Fri, May 02, 2008 - 6:21 pm

Jessica Taloney

Gulf Coast homeowners will have their eyes on Montgomery next week as Alabama representatives take their turn in the battle over insurance reform.
Two insurance reform bills, SB-03 and SB-05, are headed to the State House of Representatives. The measures were approved Thursday by Alabama senators after one of the bills was initially blocked by Sen. E.B. McClain, a democrat from Midfield.
Mobile Senator Ben Brooks, a republican, has fought for months behind the scenes to push the measures through, but the fight went public earlier this week with a war of words on the senate floor.
"Isn't it time that we open our eyes and do the work of the people in this state and not the work of the special interest in this state," Brooks said Wednesday.
After much debate and after McClain's objection, the bill was approved late Thursday.
"I knew it was going to be hard because of special interest groups, said David Broom, a Grand Bay homeowner who is watching the debate closely. "I was just real glad to see it did pass and hopefully something can be done about it," he said.
Last September, Broom and his wife were forced to sell the home where they planned to raise their kids after their insurance premium jumped more than 300%.
The House will reconvene Tuesday morning. The bills will be taken up in a committee before they can be sent to the House floor for a vote by representatives.

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