This article appeared in the Rockport Pilot. I checked with our insurance agent, Angie Ruddock, about it and she says we need to take this very seriously. We could be very negatively affected. Also, don't forget that today is the last day for public comment concerning Cedar Bayou. Comments can be emailed to denise.l.sloan@usace.army.mil.



Editorials
It’s time to stop windstorm fiasco
By: MIKE PROBST, Editor & Publisher
Published:
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 9:08 PM CDT
The Nueces County Republican Party sent an email over the weekend proclaiming the windstorm legislation being proposed by Insurance Committee Chairman John Smithee of Amarillo is far from dead.

A headline in the Sunday Corpus Christi Caller-Times said the legislation “looks to be dead,” but that is not the case.

The only thing which is sure is debate on the matter has only been postponed.

It is times like these we are lucky Rep. Todd Hunter is in office. The vote, as I understand it, was 4-3 against taking the bill out of committee last week. Hunter sits on that committee and is one of the “nay” votes.

If the proposed legislation, as written, were to be enacted, we could all pay windstorm insurance rates about 60 percent higher.

If you don’t want to see our rates increased dramatically I urge you to call/email the following list of lawmakers and let them know residents living in coastal areas should not bear the brunt of the windstorm insurance cost.

It may be true we are more apt to be hit by catastrophes requiring payment out of the windstorm insurance pool, but the economic impact of coastal cities on the state can’t be easily discarded.

Areas along the Texas coast are responsible for about one-third of the state’s economy, according to State Sen. Glenn Hegar.

The proposed increased rates, as well as limitations on windstorm coverage, would cripple the Texas economy because it would have a disastrous effect on the area of the state which fuels one third of the state’s economy.

The Nueces County Republican Party provided the following list of state lawmakers who should hear from us. Please call/email each of them. Let’s make sure this “killer bill” doesn’t get past the hearing stage.

• Chairman John Smithee (Amarillo)

john.smithee@house.state.tx.us

512-463-0702

• Vice Chairman Trey Martinez Fischer (San Antonio)

trey.martinezfischer@house.state.tx.us

512-463-0616

• Todd Hunter (Corpus Christi)

todd.hunter@house.state.tx.us

512-463-0672

• Joe Deshotel (Beaumont)

joe.deshotel@house.state.tx.us

512-463-0662

• Craig Eiland (Galveston)

craig.eiland@house.state.tx.us

512-463-0502

• Kelly Hancock (North Richland Hills)

kelly.hancock@house.state.tx.us

512-463-0599

• Carl Isett (Lubbock)

carl.isett@house.state.tx.us

512-463-0676

• Larry Taylor (Friendswood)

larry.taylor@house.state.tx.us

512-463-0729

• Senfronia Thompson (Houston)

senfronia.thompson@house.state.tx.us

512-463-0720