Catholic Conference lauds work on Cat fund

As liaison to state government on matters of concern to the Catholic Church in the seven dioceses of the Province of Miami, the Florida Catholic Conference (FCC) has been monitoring the developments surrounding the state's property insurance system and Florida's Hurricane Catastrophe Fund.

We are pleased Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink has taken steps to restructure the Cat fund in order to help protect citizens and not-for-profits throughout Florida. Should a major storm strike our state, nonprofits such as Catholic Charities could not afford the additional hurricane tax that would be added to their policies, affecting the ability to provide services to the state's most vulnerable. Additionally, low-income residents would be at risk as any decrease in income due to unexpected expenses could cause a crisis.

CFO Sink's proposal is a responsible move in the right direction. We are thankful with the progress this bill has made and hope that it continues to move swiftly through the legislative process in order to better protect all Floridians and businesses statewide, including charitable groups such as Catholic Charities.

Sheila S. Hopkins
Associate Director for Social Concerns/Respect Life
Florida Catholic Conference

April 9, 2008