An X user with the handle @MaxTwain24 expressed concerns regarding House Speaker Daniel Perez's connections to trial lawyers and recent salary increases. These concerns are tied to potential efforts to reverse the 2023 tort reforms, which have been credited with reducing insurance rates and inspiring similar measures in other states.
"The liberal Florida Speaker is employed by trial lawyers who dramatically raised his compensation from $261,000 in one year to more than $1M with no explanation," said Twain. "Coincidentally, Perez is now trying to undo conservative tort reform."
Florida's 2023 conservative tort reform, known as HB 837, significantly altered civil litigation by tightening bad-faith standards, shortening negligence deadlines, and restricting damage evidence. Insurers have attributed this law to a reduction in frivolous claims and stabilization of premiums. According to Gallagher Re, the legislation has improved reinsurer confidence and is being cited nationally as a successful model for curbing lawsuit abuse and restoring market stability.
Following these reforms, Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation reported that the state's top five auto insurers—covering 78% of the market—filed for an average -6.5% rate change for 2025. This marks a decrease from +31.7% in 2023 and +4.3% in 2024. Officials credit legislative reforms with improving claims predictability and encouraging competitive pricing.
Campaign-finance disclosures indicate that Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez’s political action committee (PAC), Conservatives for a Better Florida, raised $584,251 in the fourth quarter of 2023. Major donations included $100,000 from Publix and $50,000 from Centene; however, no contributions from trial-bar or labor-union were listed. This information was reported by WMNF citing Division of Elections records.
Max Twain is identified as a Florida-based commentator active on X (formerly Twitter), where he frequently engages with officials on state policy issues related to reform and governance. His posts reflect civic involvement in Florida’s ongoing policy dialogue rather than formal officeholding.
Florida's 2023 tort reform law is administered through the state’s Legislature and Office of Insurance Regulation, which monitors its impact on rates and claims. The law changed comparative negligence rules, attorney fees, and medical expense evidence to lower litigation costs and strengthen market stability according to the Florida OIR’s January 2025 stability report.