Here are the next two panel recordings from last week’s Policy Orientation. Please note that the audio files are very large and should only be downloaded via a broadband connection.
* “Homeowners and Hurricanes: Modernizing the Insurance Marketplace” (Presenters: Rep. John Smithee, Florida State Rep. Dennis Ross, Rod Bordelon, Seth Chandler. Moderator: Drew Thornley.)
A modernized regulatory approach focusing on fairness and solvency in lines such as auto and homeowners’ insurance creates a healthier and more stable industry. For example, since reforming their insurance industries, South Carolina and Illinois have seen more companies enter the market, stabilized rates, and smaller residual markets. For Texas to see the same results, change is needed. This panel will focus on the problems facing the Texas insurance markets, including windstorm insurance, and discuss options for improving the system.
* “The Solution for Pollution: Keeping Texas Skies Blue and the Economy in the Black” (Presenters: Rep. Dennis Bonnen, Dr. Sterling Burnett, Joel Schwartz, Mike Sloan. Moderator: Bill Peacock.)
Regulation of the environment continues to have an impact on our ability to supply the energy needs of Texas’ growing economy. This panel will look at the tremendous progress Texas has made in cleaning up its environment, examine the effects of federal and state environmental regulations on Texas’ economy, the facts about global warming, and ways to minimize regulatory costs on energy production while maintaining a healthy environment.