HOUSTON — Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday proposed a series of reforms aimed at lowering home and auto insurance costs for Texans, citing the state’s high insurance premiums and frequent severe weather.
Speaking after a campaign stop in northwest Houston, Abbott said Texas has some of the highest homeowners insurance costs in the country, driven largely by hail, hurricanes, tornadoes and other wind-related damage.
To help reduce premiums, Abbott proposed adopting a statewide roof fortification program modeled after initiatives in several Southeastern states. He said stronger roofs could reduce homeowners insurance premiums by about 8% and save homeowners more than $15,000 over the life of a roof.
Abbott also called for changing state law to allow insurers to consider moving violations when setting auto insurance rates, saying the policy could reward safe drivers with discounts of up to 30%.
The governor said the combined proposals could save Texas homeowners and drivers hundreds or even thousands of dollars annually.
The insurance proposals follow Abbott’s broader affordability agenda, which includes additional property tax relief measures. He has proposed limiting appraisal increases, requiring two-thirds voter approval for property tax hikes and eliminating school property taxes for homeowners by shifting school funding to the state.
Abbott said eliminating school property taxes would cost about $10 billion and could be funded through budget surpluses and reductions in state spending outside education.