Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Friday, April 12

Apr 12, 2013

 

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

 

Florida’s 2013 Regular Legislative Session

  • Click here for today’s Senate block calendar
  • Click here for today’s House of Representatives block calendar

 

10:00 a.m.–Florida Automobile Joint Underwriting Association teleconference meeting.  To view the meeting notice, click here.

 

 

Daily Florida Insurance-Related News

 

Florida Senate readies Citizens Property Insurance bill, but fate still uncertain

Florida lawmakers have amended a Citizens Property Insurance Corp. bill to keep existing customers under the current 10 percent annual rate hike cap, Gray Rohrer of The Florida Current Reports.

 

Florida TaxWatch Urges Caution Before Eliminating Insurer Tax Incentives

Florida TaxWatch cautioned Florida’s Legislature not to repeal an insurance premium tax credit designed to encourage insurance company jobs in Florida — at least not until it has fully assessed the impacts of what it would be like to live without it, the Sunshine State News reports.

 

Personal Injury Repeal Bill Met With Awkward Silence in Florida Senate Hearing

James L. Rosica of Insurance Journal reports that a Florida Senate bill aimed at eliminating the state’s no-fault personal injury protection auto insurance was met with awkward silence in a committee hearing this week.

 

NCCI Says Florida Workers’ Compensation Temporary Benefits Ruling Could Cost $65 Million

Michael Adams of Insurance Journal reports that a Florida court’s recent ruling that the state’s 104-week limit on injured workers’ temporary benefits is unconstitutional could increase costs by $65 million, according to NCCI.

 

Florida House offers stripped-down alternative to Medicaid expansion

James Call of The Florida Current reports that a proposed bare-bones Medicaid expansion plan would cover about 115,000 uninsured adults and would not qualify for federal money available under the Affordable Care Act. The governor criticized it for amounting to a double hit on Florida taxpayers.

 

Florida Supreme Court Rules Defense Lawyers Have Final Authority On Witnesses

The Lakeland Ledger reports that the Florida Supreme Court ruled yesterday that defense lawyers – and not defendants – have final authority on which witnesses can testify during a criminal trial.

 

Florida first in foreclosures again

The Florida Current notes the recent RealtyTrac report that there was one foreclosure filing for every 104 housing units in Florida through the first three months of the year.

 

Three Intriguing 2014 State House Races Taking Shape in Broward

Even with the gubernatorial race topping the Florida election bill in 2014, some races in Broward County are beginning to look intriguing and competitive, Jeff Henderson of the Sunshine State News reports. Three on the House side in particular are turning some heads — HD 93, HD 99, HD 100.

 

Florida House subcommittee answers Senate with revised nuclear cost recovery bill

The Florida Current’s Bruce Ritchie reports that PCB EUS 13-01 would allow nuclear cost recovery only for projects that were approved by the Florida Public Service Commission prior to July 1, 2013. The bill would require an end to the cost recovery by the end of 2025.

 

Former Senator Mandy Dawson Out of Jail

The Orlando Sentinel reports that former state lawmaker Mandy Dawson was released from federal prison after serving the entirety of her six-month sentence for income tax evasion, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

 

Blog:  Senator Jeff Brandes Tops Fundraising During First Quarter

Tampa Bay-area Senator Jeff Brandes raised $111,100 during the first quarter of the 2014 election cycle, making him the top fundraiser among Senate candidates, Peter Schorsch of SaintPetersBlog.com reports.

 

President’s budget would overhaul reinsurer tax treatment

Marcia Breen of Bermuda’s Royal Gazette reports that President Barack Obama’s 2014 budget released this week is a provision that calls for changing the tax treatment of reinsurance transactions here in Bermuda.

 

 

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