Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report – Thursday, October 05, 2017
Oct 5, 2017
Taddeo’s arrival shakes up Senate Banking and Insurance Committee
The impact of the assignment shuffle appears to be greatest on the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, where President Negron replaced Democrat trial lawyer Gary Farmer with Taddeo and then added one more Republican, Senator Doug Broxson, for good measure. Mary Ellen Klas reports for the Miami Herald’s “Naked Politics” blog.
Tropical Storm Nate forms and aims at Florida’s Gulf Coast
The forecast track showed the storm could brush across the tip of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula late Friday night and then hit the U.S. Gulf Coast as a hurricane by Sunday morning. The Associated Press reports via the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
- Governor Scott Declares State of Emergency to Prepare Florida for Tropical Storm Nate
- Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis: Get ready for impending storm
Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, partners hold hurricane recovery roundtables
The state’s Department of Economic Opportunity announced it will co-host a series of business roundtables “to highlight programs available to assist individuals, communities and businesses that have been affected by Hurricane Irma,” FloridaPolitics.com reports.
Hurricane Irma’s Lawsuit Chasers
Electricity outages after 90 mph winds are now a class-action cause, the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board writes.
Governor Scott declares Florida Keys “absolutely open” for tourists
Reopening the Keys is considered vital to the state’s tourism industry, which was on pace to top last year’s 113 million visitors before Irma. THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA’s Jim Turner reports via the Orlando Sentinel.
Trump orders feds to pay more to help Florida cities, counties pay for Hurricane Irma debris
President Donald Trump signed an order this week increasing the federal share for debris-removal costs in Florida from 75 percent to 90 percent. Stephen Hudak reports for the Orlando Sentinel.
Montford’s First Commerce and Tourism Committe Meeting to Focus on Hurricane Recovery
Senator Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce and Tourism, will lead the committee’s first meeting on hurricane effects and recovery efforts across the business community in Florida. Sunshine State News Publisher Nancy Smith reports.
State expects to file long-overdue reimbursement appeals to FEMA
Weeks after acknowledging it missed a federal deadline to help counties cover hurricane cleanup costs, the Florida Division of Emergency Management said it expects to file the formal requests in the coming days. Ledyard King reports for the Naples Daily News.
Many reasons to be proud to be a Floridian
For Irma, teams of building code experts will be conducting a deep dive, looking at code performance and will continue to learn and improve, but one thing is for certain: The homes built under the current Florida Building Code performed remarkably well, Florida Chamber Chairman Syd Kitson tells the Naples Daily News.
Workers’ comp drops off Florida legislative map
Just a year after dire predictions that the state’s economy was in peril due to rising insurance costs, Florida businesses could see an average 9.3 percent reduction in workers’ compensation premiums in the coming year under a rate filing Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier will consider later this month. THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA reports via FloridaPolitics.com.
After Irma, Florida doesn’t waive fees for KidCare insurance
A group says 160,000 families who pay about $20 a month per child for the program should have been given a break. Mary Ellen Klas reports via “The Buzz” blog.
Broward nursing home expands lawsuit against state
A Broward County nursing home has expanded a lawsuit challenging moves by Governor Rick Scott’s administration THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA reports via FloridaPolitics.com.
Feds charge clinic owners, attorney, chiropractors in alleged $23 million auto insurance fraud
Six more suspects have been arrested in a widening investigation of automobile insurance fraud in South Florida that involves at least $23 million, according to court records unsealed Wednesday. Paula McMahon reports for the Sun-Sentinel.
Florida Suffers $2.5 Billion in Agriculture Losses from Hurricane Irma
Florida’s citrus industry took the biggest hit from Hurricane Irma, with preliminary estimates finding the storm devastated the state’s largest agricultural industry with nearly $761 million worth of damage. Allison Nielsen reports for Sunshine State News.
EEOC Sues Whataburger for Alleged Retaliation Against Florida Manager
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Sept. 25 that it filed the lawsuit in district court in Tallahassee after failing to reach a pre-litigation agreement, Insurance Journal reports.
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. claims Florida-based P&C broker
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired the Naples, Florida-based Premier Insurance, LLC, Lutgert Insurance. Lyle Adriano reports for Insurance Business.
Bill would rein in community redevelopment agencies
A measure to overhaul community redevelopment agencies (CRAs), a priority of House Speaker Richard Corcoran, has been filed for the 2018 Legislative Session, FloridaPolitics.com reports.
Yes, Florida’s pool of voters is shrinking. Here’s why.
Turns out, it’s good news for Republicans and bad news for Democrats. The Tampa Bay Times’ Steve Bousquet reports for “The Buzz” blog.
Repealing the Jones Act would help Puerto Rico. But it could hurt Florida.
While Democrats and Republicans from Florida are urging the federal government to do everything in their power to help Puerto Rico, they are also beneficiaries of a law that protects Florida’s shipping industry at the expense of the island, a political quandary in a state with over 1 million Puerto Rican residents. Alex Daugherty reports via the “Naked Politics” blog.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Says Malice Not Required to Win Bad Faith Claims
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court unanimously affirmed a decision by the state’s Superior Court that although ill-will or malice is one factor that can be used to assess insurer bad faith, it is not a prerequisite for policyholders to prevail in bad faith claims. Elizabeth Blosfield reports for Insurance Journal.
Part of Oklahoma Workers’ Comp Law Overturned by State’s High Court
A divided Oklahoma Supreme Court has overturned part of Oklahoma’s workers’ compensation law concerning how workers are compensated for their on-the-job injuries, Insurance Journal reports.
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