Capitol to Courthouse Daily Florida Insurance Report: Monday, February 28
Feb 28, 2011
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- Daily Florida Insurance-Related Events
- Daily Florida Insurance-Related Bills Filed for 2011
- Daily Insurance-Related News
Daily Florida Insurance-Related Events
There are no insurance-related events scheduled for today.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related Bills Filed for 2011
HB 1007 relating to Insurer Insolvency by State Representative Mack Bernard
HB 1007 would provide for Insurance Risk Management Trust Fund coverage for liability under specified federal laws relating to receivership for specified officers, employees, agents and others of the Florida Department of Financial Services. Retroactive application of this coverage would apply under the provisions of the bill, which also would provide that a covered claim for purposes of specified guaranty provisions would not include a claim rejected by another state’s guaranty fund or liquidation law on the basis that it constitutes a claim under a policy issued by an insolvent insurer with a deductible or self-insured retention. Any Board member of the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association or Florida Workers’ Compensation Insurance Guaranty Association who is employed by, or has material relationship with, an insurer in receivership would be terminated as Board member under the provisions of HB 1007. The bill would further provide for actions by the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association to obtain custody and control of records and data related to an insolvent insurer. Attorney’s fees and costs would be awarded in certain circumstances. Effective date: July 1, 2011
Senator Garrett Richter: Florida needs solvent insurance system amid a ‘sinkhole crisis’
Last year, the Florida Legislature crafted, debated and passed SB 2044 and sent it to the governor for signature.
As chairman of the Citizens Property Insurance Corp. board of governors, I applaud The Wall Street Journal for highlighting the urgency for reforming Florida’s property-insurance market (“Waiting for Hurricane Charlie (Crist),” Review & Outlook, Feb. 23).
Former State Representative Don Brown: Sinkholes are big business for lawyers, public adjusters
There’s a rising tide of media reports covering the sinkhole threat facing Florida’s homeowners.
Legislation reforms claims process
Florida property insurers might soon have fewer justifications for frequent rate increases.
Insurance firms have friends in the state Senate
A group representing Fair Insurance Rates in Monroe got a lesson in the chancellor’s civics lesson this week in Tallahassee.
Column: Reinsurance Association of America — Florida Reinsurance Profits Are Reasonable
Several times during the past several months in articles published on homeowners’ insurance, the reference has been made to reinsurers charging five to 10 times more than they expect to lose, suggesting that the premium is excessive.
Wildfire warnings get stricter for Florida
The National Weather Service this week will tighten its criteria for wildfire warnings after experts said the number of alerts issued last year in Central Florida was 15 times more than necessary.
Flood Insurance Company Expanding to Lakeland
National Flood Services is expanding to Lakeland. NFS, a Montana-based flood Insurance processor, is opening a support center in Lakeland and plans to hire 30 to 50 people here, according to a press release.
Florida insurer takes snapshot of driving habits
Florida drivers can now be rewarded for their good behavior on the road.
Florida cities oppose legislative ban of red-light cameras
Florida cities are opposing bills filed in the House and Senate to end the use of red-light cameras, which some local governments say are needed to address a public-safety issue in a cost-effective manner.
Lawmakers poised to privatize Medicaid statewide
Governor Rick Scott and Republican legislators want to expand a Medicaid privatization experiment statewide.
Governor Rick Scott now says he’d like collective bargaining removed from Constitution
Days after Governor Rick Scott told a Tallahassee radio station that he was supportive of collective bargaining, he now says he wishes it weren’t allowed in Florida.
TABOR-style revenue cap ready for final Florida Senate vote
Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos has promised an exciting first week of the legislative session, with bills from his constitutional amendment challenging federal health care reform to a revised version of last year’s Senate Bill 6 scheduled to reach the floor.
Florida may face showdown over early 2012 primary
Florida may be headed for a showdown with the Republican Party and the early primary states over the date of its 2012 presidential primary.
Blog: 1974 pension document shows how state benefited from switch away from employee contributions
A copy of the August 1974 Florida Retirement Bulletin, unearthed by a member of the Public Pensions Trustees Association, gives a glimpse into why the state stopped requiring employees to contribute a portion of their salaries into the Florida Retirement System: to save the state money.
- To view the document, click here.
Legislation could bring ‘legal’ online poker
Online gambling could be legal and regulated in Florida by July 1.
Senate Republicans fast-track controversial bills
Senate Republicans say they are intent on making good on last fall’s campaign promises — setting the stage for a highly partisan opening week of the 2011 Legislature.
TIME Magazine: Florida Governor Rick Scott–Sanford, Minus Sex Scandal
Florida Governor Rick Scott gives off a wide-eyed glow of certainty about everything he does.
Lawmakers eye advertising on state parks and assets
Thank you for riding SunTrustRail. Next stop: JetBlue Spring State Park.
Two lawmakers dominate Tallahassee
When the Florida Legislature convenes in two weeks, two men will wield almost uncheckable power over a conservative agenda of lower taxes, budget cuts, evaluating teacher performance, and Medicaid and pension reform.
Florida faces fight over early primary
Florida may be headed for a showdown with the Republican Party and the early primary states over the date of its 2012 presidential primary.
The Legislature has many ways to kill a bill
Every legislative session for the past four years, lawmakers have introduced multiple bills to regulate texting while driving in Florida.
Election supercenters could replace South Florida polling places
Broward County’s special election February 8 cost about $75,000 – for 204 votes.
Frederica Wilson’s road to the Capitol makes it onto the front pages of the Washington Post magazine
Near-homelessness. NFL glory. Taking on the mob.
Wall Street Journal: Risk Management Solutions’ New Hurricane Model Will Broaden Who’s at Risk
A hurricane-modeling company that helps insurers predict the cost of megastorms will launch a new, more sophisticated model on Monday that shows some homeowners living hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean are at greater risk than previously thought.
Blog: Gulf Coast residents in Alabama pushing for coastal insurance reform
When the state Legislature starts its session Tuesday, a group of south Alabama residents hope that a new governor and Republican majority will mean renewed interest in addressing soaring coastal property insurance rates.
Suspected arsonist seeks right to sue insurer
Richard Shenkman-Tyler, also known as Inmate #350300 at MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield, can’t earn the type of salary he once made as a high-powered advertising executive.
Drywall Saga Easing With Louisiana Pilot Project
Loney and Vickie Hebert’s four-year ordeal with Chinese drywall is about to come to an end.
Most Beaches from Maine to Virginia Found to Be Eroding
A survey of hundreds of miles of New England and mid-Atlantic coastline found that 68 percent of the beaches studied have eroded during the past 150 years, according to a report released this week
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