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Florida has a new Governor tonight. Charlie Crist took the oath of office at noon in front of the state capitol and as Mike Vasilinda tells us, laid out an ambitious agenda to lower property insurance and property tax bills.

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With the words…. “so help me god… so help me god…”
Charlie Crist became Florida’s 44th governor. Howitzers provided a 21 gun salute, although one of the guns misfired and couldn’t deliver the whole total. Then two sets of  jet fighters buzzed the ceremony brining oh’s and ah’s from the crowd.  Then Charlie Crist talked about the love of his parents and its influence on him. “And it was not on my greatest days, but on my worst that I most felt their love.” says Crist.

He also talked about ending political partisan bickering. The new Governor told the audience “Only our commitment to work together for a better way of life… will take us where we need to go. “

And he emphasized the need to find an immediate solution to skyrocketing insurance premiums

“Not stop gap measures, no band aides, no finger in the dike. We need permanent, real solutions for the people” says Crist.

He also wants to tackle rising property taxes by march.

“And we must give the people the opportunity to amend their constitution to lower their property taxes… and we will.”

Afterward, the governor acknowledged that the agenda he set out is very ambitious, but he says that’s what people expect.  “I think floridians deserve ambition. You know? We are a state that is a leader nationally and we need to continue to do that and that’s what we set upon today.” says the new Governor.

But most of all, Florida’s 44th governor talked about optimism for the future. And when it comes to the high price of homeowner’s insurance, the new governor has his work cut out for him. The legislature convenes in two weeks for a special session on insurance reform.