Insurance premiums could rise in North Carolina to pay for storm-damaged beaches.

The N.C. Rate Bureau, an insurance company association that recommends insurance rates to the state commissioner, released a proposed increase on homeowners premiums by an average of 19.5 percent.

The rate jump would be higher on the coast, with potential increases of as much as 50 percent in the Outer Banks and 70 percent in coastal counties.

State Rep. Bruce Goforth, an Asheville Democrat who sits on a legislative committee that heard the proposal, objected to the idea that the rest of the state should pay higher insurance to help the owners of beachfront mansions.

"They've got th emoney to pay for the insurance they should be paying," he said.

Officials with the Rate Bureau said the proposed hikeis needed to stabilize the Beach Plan, a government-created insurance program that is the dominant coastal provider. (N&O)