Capitol Chatter: June 15

Rising pressure on Citizens to increase premiums
Twenty-five Florida lawmakers are calling on Citizens Property Insurance Corp. to thin out the number of Floridians it insures.

A letter to Citizens President and CEO Tom Grady was sent just a few days after the state-backed insurance company was pushed to raise its rates by insurance industry competitors who say the low rates are undermining competition.

Citizens was intended to be the state's insurer of last resort, to provide property insurance to those who could not get it from traditional insurance companies. But because of low premiums — Citizens does not need to make a profit and it has the full backing of the state -- Citizens is by far the largest insurer in Florida.