Floridians know the feeling all too well: insurance bills that rise faster than paychecks, small businesses squeezed by legal uncertainty, and families forced to make hard choices because everyday costs keep climbing. That’s why the legal reforms enacted by the Florida Legislature in 2023 were not only overdue—they were essential. Efforts now underway to roll back those reforms risk undoing hard-won progress and pushing costs right back onto the shoulders of consumers.
The 2023 reforms addressed a problem that had been hiding in plain sight for years: a litigation environment that rewarded excess, encouraged abuse, and ultimately made Florida more expensive to live and do business in. When lawsuits proliferate and legal exposure becomes unpredictable, the bill doesn’t stay in the courtroom. It shows up in higher insurance premiums, increased prices for goods and services, and fewer choices for consumers.
That is exactly what Floridians experienced before reform. Our state became an outlier—home to a disproportionate share of litigation compared to the rest of the country. Insurers, employers, health care providers, and small businesses all had to price in the risk of runaway legal costs. Families paid the price through higher auto and homeowners insurance rates. Contractors passed legal costs onto customers. Doctors practiced defensive medicine. Everyone lost—except the narrow interests who benefited from the status quo.
The 2023 reforms changed that trajectory. By modernizing liability standards, reining in incentives for unnecessary lawsuits, and restoring balance to the civil justice system, the Legislature sent a clear signal: Florida is serious about fairness, predictability, and affordability. These changes didn’t eliminate anyone’s right to seek justice. They simply ensured that the system rewards legitimate claims—not gamesmanship.
The result has been a measurable improvement in confidence and stability. Insurance markets respond to risk, and when risk becomes more predictable, prices follow. Businesses can invest, hire, and expand without constantly looking over their shoulders. Consumers benefit from competition and lower overhead. Affordability isn’t created by government subsidies or short-term fixes; it’s created when systems function rationally and efficiently. That’s what the 2023 reforms began to deliver.
Rolling back these reforms would send Florida in the wrong direction. It would tell families struggling with high costs that their relief was temporary. It would tell businesses considering Florida that legal uncertainty is back on the table. And it would tell insurers and employers that the old, expensive ways are returning—almost guaranteeing higher premiums and prices in the years ahead.
At a time when Floridians are already grappling with housing costs, inflation, and economic uncertainty, reversing policies that promote affordability is not just misguided—it’s irresponsible. We should be building on reforms that work, not dismantling them under pressure from special interests that thrived when the system was broken.
Florida made a smart, courageous choice in 2023 to confront a long-standing problem head-on. Lawmakers should stand by that choice. Protecting the reforms means protecting affordability, economic stability, and the everyday Floridians who simply want a fair system and a chance to get ahead.
Stacy Snow — FLORIDA ACTIVIST and BUSINESS BROKER
