Florida begins to fortify

Welcome to another edition of the Murzin Report. Property Insurance continues to be a major concern in Pensacola and throughout all of Florida. In response to this serious issue, your elected officials passed several reform measures during the 2006 Legislative Session and are continuing to work on solutions.

As a result of the legislation passed this year, Governor Jeb Bush released Executive Order 06-150 creating the Florida Property and Casualty Insurance Reform Committee. The Committee will provide a forum for discussion about the problems plaguing the insurance market and our citizens. The Committee will also be making recommendations to stabilize the industry. The Committee is currently traveling the state and holding meetings and hear public input. The Committee will be in Pensacola at University of West Florida on November 9 tentatively. Details will be announced at a later time. The committee has a website that provides meeting schedules, information, and links to related topics. Please visit http://www.myfloridainsurancereform. com/ for more information.

You'll also want to read information in this newsletter on an event called Fortify Florida. This initiative features a series of Town Fairs to be held throughout the state to provide a FREE one-stop shop for Floridians to get information about how they can protect their homes to reduce the risk of damage from hurricanes, etc. The Fortify Florida event will be held in Pensacola on Saturday, September 30, at the Civic Center, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. More information on Fortify Florida is provided in this newsletter.

My office staff and I welcome your contact regarding any issue that is important to you. As always, I consider it a pleasure to serve you, and the people of our district.I also encourage you to visit the websites of your Florida Legislature. You can find links to their websites and to other government entities here as well as kid's pages designed to educate young ones about how our state government works: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/

Sales tax holiday for energy-efficient appliances

The week of October 5 through 11 will be "EnergyEfficient Week," during which Floridians will be able to purchase new energy-efficient products without having to pay sales tax. For these 7 days, the following items will be tax-free, provided they cost $1,500 or less per product and meet or exceed the requirements of the federal Energy Star program: Refrigerators, Dishwashers Washing machines Air conditioners

Ceiling fans

Incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs Dehumidifiers

Programmable thermostats

The item must be new and have the Energy Star label affixed to the product or its packaging when sold.

These tax-free days only apply when the energy efficient item is purchased for noncommercial or personal use and does not apply when the product is purchased for trade, business, or resale. Therefore, this exemption does not apply to any construction company, building contractor, or commercial entity, regardless of the method of payment they may use (check, credit card, store-issued credit card, cash, etc.).

If your business sells the items listed above, you must keep records that show the type of product sold, the date on which it was sold, and the sales price of each item. For information on how to apply the sales tax exemption, read the Tax Information Publication 06A0121, dated August 28, 2006. You should have already received one in the mail, but you can get one online and find more information on this sales tax holiday at www.myflorida.com/dor .

Fortify Florida! Safe Homes for Florida's Families

The Fortify Florida initiative features a series of Town Fairs to be held throughout the state. The Fortify Florida Town Fairs provide a one-stop shop for Floridians to get information about how they can protect their homes to reduce the risk of damage from hurricanes, achieving increased levels of personal and family safety through hurricane mitigation efforts. They can also get information on how to participate in "My Safe Florida Home," a program administered by the Florida Department of Financial Services to protect Floridians and assist them in making their homes safe against the threat of hurricanes.

Currently scheduled events include:

Fortify Florida: Pensacola Prepares!

September 30, - Pensacola Civic Center. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Diana Chapman, (850) 4537800 or Diana.Chapman@fldfs.com