In retrospect, 2005 probably will be viewed as a transitionalyear. The once-strident legislative battles over medicalmalpractice and workers' compensation reforms have given way to aperiod of assessing their incremental changes on the markets. Thenthere is the fact that the state has suffered eight hurricanes intwo years, leaving a financial and economic legacy that willrequire legislative and regulatory action stretching forwardindefinitely. That is not to say that 2006 will be without itschallenges. The fight over whether to retain the auto personalinjury protection law is already heating up as the industry linesup against its old foes — the trial bar and doctors. CitizensProperty Insurance Corporation is due for a major overhaul giventhe residual market's many financial and ethical problems. And thenthere will be the long discussion over who should pay for Florida'scoastal hurricane losses. Throw in the fact that 2006 is anelection year, and that Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher isrunning for governor, and there is plenty to look forward to. Butfor the moment, Florida Underwriter looks back. Here are a fewquotes that caught our attention this past year.

Workers' Compensation

“These are the results we had hoped the reforms would produceand while we are not totally out of the woods, we have come a longway from where we started.” – Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty,on his decision to lower rates by 5.1 percent in January 2005.