An online petition calls increase ‘insensitive and unnecessary.’ Join the rally on Aug. 27 at the corner of Cleveland Avenue and North Rife Street in Aransas Pass.
Anyone wanting to protest a 10-percent hike in windstorm insurance rates by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association has at least two highly visible outlets: a rally Aug. 27 and an online petition. Coastal Bend chambers of commerce and elected representatives have banded together to fight the increase with a focus on getting the public involved.
“We are going to emphasize the importance of working together,” said Cleo Rodriguez, president of the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce. “Our main goal for the rally is to get the message out there that the Coastal Bend is still in recovery. This is not the time to impact us further by increasing rates for windstorm.”
The rally will begin at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 27, at the corner of Cleveland Avenue and North Rife Street in Aransas Pass.
The Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce has posted an online petition for residents and property owners affected by the rate increase to sign.
“We, the residents and property owners of the 14 coastal counties of Texas, petition the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) Board of Directors, the Texas Commissioner of Insurance, members of the Texas State Legislature, and Governor Abbott to oppose rate increases for TWIA policyholders,” reads the first of three paragraphs and four bullet points. It ends with: “Therefore, we the undersigned, call on the TWIA Board of Directors, the Texas Commissioner of Insurance, members of the Texas State Legislature, and Governor Abbott to recognize the plight of coastal residents and not impose a rate increase on TWIA policy holders.
Those wanting to sign, can click on the blue bar reading: Click HERE to sign the Petition Opposing the 10% Rate Hike on TWIA Policyholders
“It is insensitive and unnecessarily cruel to dump a significant premium rate increase on these policyholders while they continue to rebuild their lives,” the petition continues on the signature page. “TWIA must explore any and all possible alternatives to a premium rate increase given the gravity of economic conditions in Hurricane Harvey-impacted communities.”
While rally planning and petition signing continue, locally elected leaders are working behind the scenes, meeting with state officials and planning legislation for the upcoming legislative session in January 2019. State Rep. Todd Hunter spoke to Corpus Christi Business News about his efforts to stop the rate hike and to find out why TWIA has been so slow in paying claims from Hurricane Harvey.
“I have met with the Texas Department of Insurance and the Office of Public Insurance Counsel, and I have explained to them the unfairness of the rate hikes and the failure to pay these claims,” he said. “We are taking the lead, and we are going to push forward to do everything we can to try to stop this rate hike.”
