Allstate had not immediate reaction but is expected to go to court to try and overturn this ban.

The suspension affects only new policies by the state’s second-largest auto insurance group, including Encompass and Allstate Floridian. Those with current home and auto policies are not affected. Neither are renewals of existing policies. Allstate has 2 million customers in Florida.

The order is in retaliation for Allstate’s refusal to turn over records subpoenaed by McCarty’s Office of Insurance Regulation. The investigation began as an inquiry into whether Allstate and other insurers conspired to pump up hurricane rates in Florida despite legislation intended to bring homeowners relief.

McCarty also wants Allstate to turn over what’s called the McKinsey Report, a consultant’s report from 1992 that suggested Allstate use a computer system called Colossus to generate auto injury claims payments based not on losses but on profit goals.

To date, Allstate has refused to release the records, including to a Missouri judge who has imposed a $25,000-a-day fine against the company.

It is about time that someone in Florida Government took steps to stop the insurance companies improper actions against Florida residents. Keep up the good work Mr. McCarty.

About Mr. McCarty: Three years into his tenure as Florida’s first appointed insurance commissioner, Kevin McCarty has cemented his reputation as an innovator utilizing technology to improve the regulatory process, as a fierce defender of seniors and historically discriminated minorities, and as a national leader who is forging a coalition to implement a national catastrophe strategy.

As usual, just like gas, and power, and other industries, insurance is quick to raise the rates but it takes months, sometimes years, to see it come back down when the economic indicators say it should.

Because of this a special Senate panel threatened Thursday to subpoena leading insurance industry executives to explain why some Florida consumers have not seen savings on their property insurance bills. The lawmakers are frustrated at the delay in getting savings back to the state’s consumers.

‘It’s time for the fork to meet the grits,’ said Sen. Bill Posey, the Rockledge Republican who chairs the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee. ‘We need to make sure this stuff is rolled back as far as it needs to be.’

Posey spoke at a news conference announcing the special Senate panel that will include half of the Senate’s 40 members. It will be co-chaired by Sens. Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, and Steve Geller, D-Cooper City. Lawmakers said they intended to put industry executives under oath during testimony before the panel.

The banking executive drew applause from the room of representatives by suggesting insurance companies need to state up front what they’ll give back to consumers in exchange for their own demands.

“We can’t keep giving favors to insurance companies and have them stick our nose in it 10 days after the bill is passed,” Sink said, referring to State Farms’ rate hike filing on the heels of favorable insurance reform legislation last spring.

“It can’t be a one-way street any longer.”

The entire article can be read at Florida Today.

Crist defers to Bush on insurance. The governor-elect said that he won’t meddle in a special session that is expected before he takes office. In his first appearance after defeating Jim Davis to become the next governor, Crist told reporters and supporters Wednesday that he will defer to Gov. Jeb Bush on policy matters until the Jan. 2 inauguration – including on Bush’s plan to have lawmakers return next month to address Florida’s crumbling insurance market.

So will that then give you an excuse once you do take office Charlie? Shouldn’t you be involved in the special session so that nothing gets done that will affect or hamper your plan for the insurance crisis that you campaigned on?

Get in there and get your hands dirty Governor Elect Crist, I think you probably will not a head start on this crisis.

Have a happy election day.

Posey is faced with what he calls a “seemingly impossible” situation. Property insurance, if it’s available at all, is nearly unaffordable for many home and business owners.

“I don’t look forward to this,” he admits. “But you do the best you can.” Not necessarily confidence inspiring words if I have to say so myself.

Posey says he knows the property insurance problem will be contentious.

“There will be a lot of people screaming before this is over, and I’ll need a bodyguard.”

Do it right Mr. Posey and you will have millions of Florida homeowners willing to protect you.

As I was looking at the races that will be on the ballot that I use next Tuesday, I started looking at the candidates to see if the Florida Insurance Crisis has affected my thoughts on any of the candidates. I do not believe that it has altered my thinking on any of the candidates, just made more aware of their positions on different issues.

So, my questions to you is, “Has the Insurance Crisis affected the way that you will vote next Tuesday?” Please leave me a comment and let me know.

If it has not, is there a major issue. state wide or nationally, that has altered your thoughts on voting for this year.

Did you know that while the state subsidiaries of national companies continue to cry poor in public. They hope consumers don’t find out the Insurance Information Institute says nationwide, property-casualty insurance companies last year earned a record $48.8 billion.

Did you know that at the same time Republican candidate for governor Charlie Crist attacks insurance companies in public, he’s accepting checks from them — $763,507 worth by Oct. 6 alone.

In contrast, Davis has taken $74,450.

Why have the insurance companies given Crist more money than any other candidate in the Nov. 7 election?

And why have they given Republican CFO candidate Tom Lee the second-largest amount, at $364,000?

The Republican Party got $4.5 million from the insurance lobby by the end of August; the Democrats, $860,897.

If the lowering of your insurance rates and increasing your coverage and service are important to you then consider the following:

For governor, Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Davis of Tampa, because he has a well thought out, consumer-friendly insurance plan that would demand premium cuts, and the mettle to make it happen.

And for Chief Financial Officer, a position with a major influence on insurance, Democrat Alex Sink. She has spent 26 years in banking, seven as head of Bank of America-Florida, and offers solid proposals to stand up for the public.

When you do go to the polls, as a homeowner the two most important issues to me in this election cycle are Governor and the CFO position.

Tom Lee has been president of the senate for the last legislation campaign and has not been politician of the voters and residents of Florida. He should not be elected the Florida CFO. He is a developer with ties to the insurance industry and should be sent packing.

Alex Sink, a career banker and former president of Bank of America – Florida, is the perfect candidate for this position at this time. She will be a conscious fighter for fiscal restraint and will be a watchdog for the people. Read what she has to say about the Insurance and other issues by clicking here.

When casting your ballot for CFO, please consider her history and remember that Tom Lee was president when in the midst of a full-blown property insurance crisis, the Legislature waited until the last hour of the 2006 session to put a band-aid on a problem that required major surgery. As a result, consumers continue to see their homeowners policies non-renewed or canceled as insurance companies flee our state. Those fortunate enough to find insurance have faced spiraling rate increases that are crippling households and our economy. In fact, Tallahassee’s efforts were so inadequate that the governor had to appoint yet another commission – the third on this issue – to “study” the insurance crisis.

Click here to visit the Alex Sink Campaign website.

In a brief press conference after addressing the Southern Newspaper Publishers Conference at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Naples, Bush said that while a special session is “not a sure thing yet, the problem is real” and remains top concern in his three months remaining as governor. He said that in the week after the election he and his advisers would go over the recommendations of the committee led by Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings that has held hearings around the state this summer and fall on the insurance crisis.

Items that Bush said are likely to be addressed if the session is called are:

Bush said that among those likely to be considered are:

– Reform of the Citizens Property Insurance Co., the insurer of last resort for hundreds of thousands of Floridians.

– A commercial joint underwriting agency to help small businesses get access to insurance.

– A fund to help low-income Floridians obtain property insurance.

– Incentives to raise insurance company retention of existing clients.