Representative Anne Gerwig, whose House district includes a portion of Royal Palm Beach, updated the Village Council on the 2025 Florida legislative session at the Aug. 21 meeting, describing two bills she said she carried, budget outcomes and continuing concerns about homeowner and property insurance.

"I got 2 bills passed, which is awesome for a freshman," Gerwig told the council. She said the first established an annual Fentanyl Awareness Day in Florida on Aug. 21 to align with a national awareness day. The second granted school districts flexibility on middle- and high-school start times to address student sleep needs while recognizing local constraints such as bus fleets and athletic practice schedules.

Gerwig said the Legislature approved a smaller state budget this year, with total appropriations she described as $3.8 billion less than the prior year. She also said she successfully secured local appropriations for projects in nearby municipalities, including stormwater and sewer-extension-related work.

On insurance, Gerwig described pressure during the session to undo recent tort reforms and said she opposed a measure that she believed would reverse reforms that were stabilizing the market. "The cost of insurance are hurting all of us," she said, and she characterized accountability for insurer filings and reinsurance cost increases as central issues. She also noted Florida is a net donor to the National Flood Insurance Program and cautioned that state-level solutions would carry fiscal consequences.

Council members asked about property-tax conversations and Citizens Property Insurance; Gerwig said Citizens is ultimately backed by the state and private insurers share the burden for the risk pool. She described ongoing committee work to increase accountability for insurers that report low profits while raising rates.

Gerwig left a written legislative update with the council and answered questions about her committee work, local appropriations and education funding restorations for specialized classes.