Capitol to Courthouse Daily Florida Insurance Report: Thursday, March 10
Mar 10, 2011
To go directly to the section of your choice, click on a hyperlink below. Other hyperlinks to meeting information, bills and news are noted in bold type.
- Daily Florida Insurance-Related Events
- Daily Florida Insurance-Related Bills Filed for 2011
- Daily Insurance-Related News
Daily Florida Insurance-Related Events
Florida’s 2011 Regular Legislative Session
1:00 p.m.–Florida Office of Insurance Regulation Public Rate Hearing: Olympus Insurance Company. To view the meeting notice, click here. To view the agenda, click here.
2:45 p.m.–House Economic Affairs Committee
- HB 4081 Relating to Repeal of Obsolete Insurance Provisions by State Representative Mike Horner
- HB 4099 Relating to Repeal of Property and Casualty Insurance Provisions by State Representative Bryan Nelson
Daily Florida Insurance-Related Bills Filed for 2011
HB 1439 relating to Motor Vehicle Insurance by State Representative J.W. Grant
Provisions relating to proof of financial responsibility for rented or leased motor vehicles would be revised under HB 1439, and lessors and lessees of rented and leased motor vehicles would be provided with certain responsibilities relating to the provision and obtaining of liability insurance. Identical to SB 1806, the legislation would revise who is deemed to be the owner of a motor vehicle for purposes of determining financial responsibility. It also would revise the applicability of certain provisions relating to the financial responsibility of commercial motor vehicle owners. Effective date: July 1, 2011
Orlando-based Olympus seeks rate hike
Orlando-based Olympus Insurance is requesting an average increase of 27.2 percent for its homeowners insurance, and will argue for it at a public rate hearing at 1 p.m. today in Tallahassee.
Blog: Florida Governor Scott on civil rights, pill mills and insurance
Scott said his office is working on an insurance bill that will address how long a rate payer can file a claim, address the sinkhole issue and reduce the size of Citizens.
Drought deepens in southern Florida
South Florida water managers say drought conditions are worsening from Orlando to the Keys.
High coastal exposure to hurricanes is one reason Florida has the highest property-insurance rates in the country. That’s no surprise, but it’s only part of the reason.
Scott’s shift of emergency management authority changes very little
“I have asked the Division of Emergency Management to report directly to me.”
Cape Coral patrol officers, insurers, verify insurance compliance during traffic stops
The Cape Coral Police Department targeted uninsured motorists and drivers in possession of fake Insurance cards during a traffic operation Wednesday.
Florida Senate approves putting health care amendment on ballot in 2012
The Florida Senate voted largely along party lines Wednesday to put a Republican-sponsored response to President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul on the November 2012 ballot.
Governor Rick Scott rejects $1 million from OxyContin maker to fund drug database
One of the country’s largest drug manufacturers is offering a $1 million donation to help pay for a prescription database to combat Florida’s illegal trade in painkillers.
Judge dismisses Drug Monitoring Program contract protest; repeal hearing today
An administrative law judge on Wednesday issued a proposed recommended order giving the Department of Health permission to dismiss Optimum’s Technology Inc.’s protest of a Prescription Drug Monitoring Database contract.
Blog: House committee set to abolish pain clinic oversight, do away with drug database
With House Speaker Dean Cannons blessing, a House committee is preparing to abolish all oversight of the states pain management clinics and repeal a controversial prescription drug database law enforcement officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Officials to meet about Medicaid privatization
Education officials plan to meet with Governor Rick Scott to discuss ways to safeguard state teaching hospitals under proposed plans to overhaul Florida’s Medicaid program.
Central Florida Filming Begins on TV Pilot About Workers Comp Insurance Agent
Morgan Fairchild is co-starring in “Workers Comp,” to be filmed in Sarasota and Bradenton.
After years of trying to get Hollywood to come to this part of the Sunshine State, three TV pilots are cranking up soon in Orlando and Sarasota with familiar names such as Morgan Fairchild and Jenna Elfman.
Ex-Felons Must Wait 5 Years, Then Ask for Right to Vote
Governor Rick Scott, Cabinet amend state clemency policy
Before Wednesday, if a convicted felon in Florida wanted his right to vote restored, he or she would have to go through the appeals process.
Senate Moves Less-Toothy Unemployment Compensation Bill
Senate’s unemployment comp reform would not cut weeks like House bill.
House committee sets 60 percent vote re-election standard for judges
One of the problems the Florida House has with judges is that they get re-elected too easily.Because state Supreme Court justices and appeals court judges stand for “merit retention” after they are appointed by the governor — and don’t face traditional political opponents.
National Rifle Association handed rare defeat in Florida bill that would have allowed guns on campus
The NRA was handed a rare defeat Wednesday when Senate Republicans scrapped plans to allow some people to bring guns on college campuses.
Florida TaxWatch Study: State’s ‘Tax Burden’ Lowers Its Economic Competitiveness
Report shows Sunshine State has work to do on taxes, regulations
With Governor Rick Scott promising to bring 700,000 jobs to the Sunshine State in the next seven years and Florida lagging behind the nation with high unemployment, Florida TaxWatch unveiled an updated report Wednesday to help the state figure out how it can be more economically competitive.
Blog: Senate committee rejects Negron’s attempt to revive vetoed bill
Here’s a measure that’s been off the radar: The Senate Regulated Industries Committee today rejected an attempt by Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, to revive his bill that would have limited the liability of licensed engineers, architects and other design professionals from negligence suits after it had been vetoed by Governor Charlie Crist last year.
Two Florida lawmakers target ‘sharia’ law
Two Republican legislators want to make sure Florida courts aren’t tainted by what one of them calls foreign “shenanigans”: Muslim sharia or legal codes from other nations.
Editorial: A Tallahassee assault on home rule tradition
Among the major issues facing the Legislature as the annual 60-day session gets into full swing this week, Manatee County joins the Florida Association of Counties with strong positions on seven.
Five biggest questions for the 2011 session
These are the questions that could decide if the session runs smoothly, or if it collapses by early May.
U.S. Congress wades into flood insurance overhaul
The U.S. Congress is pulling on its hip waders again to try to rescue a government policy wreck left over from 2005’s Hurricane Katrina.
California Advances Surplus Lines Reforms
California officials have drafted legislation to implement the federal surplus lines NRRA reform law.
Morgan Stanley Cuts Reinsurers’ 1Q EPS Estimates Based On Quake Data
Based on property and casualty companies’ pre-announcements and other data, losses from the Feb. 22 New Zealand earthquake damages could be as much as three-times worse than the September quake in the same region, Morgan Stanley said.
Newly Built Flood-Protection Levee in Louisiana Has Cracks
Cracks have formed in a Cocodrie, La., levee, one of the newest to be constructed as part of the Morganza-to-the-Gulf hurricane-protection system.
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