Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Friday, February 21
Feb 21, 2014
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
There are no events scheduled for today.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Hung out to dry in the eye of the storm
Tampa Bay Times Columnist Daniel Ruth relates that Citizens Property Insurance CEO Barry Gilway had a “Kumbaya of Sinkholes” during an interview with the newspaper’s editorial board about shedding some 500,000 policies in less than two years.
Fate of fatal sinkhole site still unclear a year later
Next week will be the one-year anniversary of a fatal sinkhole that drew national and international attention. Hillsborough County is moving forward with a plan for the property on which the gaping hole opened, Tampa Tribune’s Keith Morrelli reports via the Pensacola News-Journal.
Brandes’ flood insurance fix advances through appropriations committee
SB 542 sponsored by Senator Jeff Brandes passed the Senate Committee on Appropriations yesterday with strong, unanimous support. The bill lays the framework for a private flood insurance marketplace in Florida in response to rate increases from the National Flood Insurance Program, SaintPetersBlog.com’s Peter Schorsch reports.
Gaetz says pension changes may be in trouble
An overhaul of the Florida Retirement System is in for a close vote in the 2014 legislative session, Senate President Don Gaetz said yesterday. The Florida Current’s Bill Cotterell reports.
House Democrats say session will be “class warfare”
House Democratic leaders rolled out a “class warfare” agenda for the 2014 legislative session Thursday, vowing to fight Governor Rick Scott and Republican leaders to make sure new state revenue is used to expand Florida’s Medicaid program, improve education and fund other programs for the poor and middle class, The Florida Current’s Bill Cotterell reports.
Gaetz predicts 2014 Session to have a quick start
The first day of a legislative session is usually filled with pomp and ceremony and everyone greeting each other like long lost friends amid so many floral arrangements that in some years the chambers have looked more like the setting of a florists’ convention than a place for making law, The Florida Current’s James Call reports.
Collins Institute study paints grim picture for Florida
There is an economic downside to being a top tourist destination and retirement goal for millions of Americans, according to a new study of Florida’s fiscal future released Thursday, The Florida Current’s Bill Cotterell reports.
Scott to skip trip to Dominican Republic after pressure from Haitian-American group
Florida Governor Rick Scott will not lead a trade mission to the Dominican Republic when it leaves Sunday after a Haitian-American group urged him to cancel the mission altogether, The Florida Current’s Gray Rohrer reports.
Senator says “Plan B” is ready for critics of draft springs legislation
Florida Senator David Simmons told a Senate workshop on Thursday that he has a new draft springs bill that will take out a section that has raised concerns for cities, counties and business groups, The Florida Current’s Bruce Ritchie reports.
Expansion Of Florida Private School Scholarships Introduced
The “massive expansion” of Florida’s de facto voucher system promised by House Speaker Will Weatherford was filed Thursday, setting up what is expected to be one of the most-contentious education battles of the 2014 legislative session, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA’s Brandon Larrabee reports via CBSNews.
Texas Likely to Become an NCCI State for Workers’ Comp; Question Is – When?
Texas will be privatizing many functions in its workers’ compensation system if a staff petition to adopt the National Council on Compensation Insurance Basic Manual, with Texas exceptions, and the national and Texas-specific endorsements and forms in the NCCI Forms Manual, is approved by Texas Insurance Commissioner Julia Rathgeber. Insurance Journal’s Stephanie K. Jones reports.
Click here to follow Colodny Fass& Webb on Twitter (@CFTLAWcom)
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please send an e-mail to Brooke Ellis at bellis@cftlaw.com.