SPECIAL SESSION TALKED ABOUT BUT NOTHING SET:

The after-effects of Florida’s destructive hurricane season and its impact on Floridians could be addressed at a possible Legislative special session, tentatively scheduled to start on Dec. 13. Issues that could be covered include the homeowners policy moratorium, multiple deductibles, and caps on public adjuster fees. But it’s a countdown to the general election and pundits at the Capitol say anything can happen. “So much is in the air that it’s hard to predict what will happen,” explains Ron Villella, PIA’s government affairs director. “A special session can’t undo what has already been done regarding double deductibles and insurance policy moratoriums. These issues also become a timing and effectiveness issue–can these issues wait until the regular session in the spring? Can they be fixed in the short timeframe of a special session?” The Legislature has announced an organizational session on Nov. 16, 2004, for legislators to follow up on the Nov. 2 elections, with interim committee meetings the week of Nov. 29. No details or schedule of the interim meetings have been released.