Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Friday, January 20
Jan 20, 2012
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 2012 Regular Legislative Session
- Click here for today’s Senate block calendar
- Click here for today’s House of Representatives block calendar
2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.–Long-Term Care Managed Care Technical Advisory Workgroup meeting. Continued discussion on the Medicaid eligibility process. To view the meeting notice, click here.
Florida Supreme Court Rules on Insurers’ Legal Fees
The Florida Supreme Court said insurers don’t have to pay customers’ legal costs when they’re sued and lose.
Bill to reduce hurricane assessments breezes through Senate panel
Legislation that would all but eliminate regular assessments on homeowners’ policies in the aftermath of a catastrophic storm easily moved through the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee Thursday, passing with a unanimous vote.
Citizens Property Insurance Sees Big News in a Small Drop
For reform of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. reform, even tiny steps can be a big deal.
Repackaged-Drug Bill Advances in Florida Senate
Following a last-minute amendment backers don’t like but had no time to defeat, a measure restricting the price physicians can charge for repackaged prescription drugs passed its first Senate committee on Thursday.
Brown & Brown Promotes Strianese to Regional President
Insurance agency Brown & Brown Inc. has promoted Anthony Strianese to the position of regional president.
Editorial: Florida tourism gets jolt from President Obama
Florida is accustomed to seeing plenty of visitors in January, especially in an election year.
Judge pares fees for attorneys in BP case
A federal judge has ruled that people pursuing their Gulf of Mexico oil spill claims against BP outside of federal court do not have to pay fees to hundreds of lawyers working on behalf of about 120,000 claimants fighting the oil giant in court.
Blog: House Speaker Dean Cannon releases budget allocations. Your move, Florida Senate
House Speaker Dean Cannon just released budget allocations for committees to begin piecing together a spending plan that would boost per-pupil spending by about 2.3 percent – in line with the increase Gov. Rick Scott requested last month.
Florida’s powerful gun lobby puts cuffs on officials
Even without the interference of the gun lobby and its flunkies in the state Legislature, Hernando County commissioners would have a tough decision to make on Tuesday.
Blog: Senate President Mike Haridopolos fast-tracks privatization bills
Senate President Mike Haridopolos has fast-tracked two privatization bills, referring them to a single committee before they head to the floor for a full vote.
Cab company complaints impede wheelchair access bill
Members of the Senate Transportation Committee postponed a scheduled vote on SB 1392 Thursday, after taxicab fleet owners said the legislation threatened their business.
Florida Senate panel opts to regulate Internet sweepstakes cafes
Highlighting the differences within the Legislature on Internet sweepstakes cafes, the Senate Regulated Industries Committee voted 8-1 Thursday to regulate the storefronts that sell telephone or Internet time and offer slot-like video games, a week after a House panel voted to ban them altogether.
Senator won’t take “the easy way out” to balance budget
Highlighting the differences within the Legislature on Internet sweepstakes cafes, the Senate Regulated Industries Committee voted 8-1 Thursday to regulate the storefronts that sell telephone or Internet time and offer slot-like video games, a week after a House panel voted to ban them altogether.
Florida Representative Paige Kreegel says sick inmates were moved before privatization
A southwest Florida lawmaker says prison employees in his district told him the Department of Corrections last year had moved sicker, more-expensive inmates out of facilities the state was trying to privatize.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is considering rule changes that define how recycling counts toward meeting a 75-percent goal established by the Legislature in 2008.
Louisiana Citizens Proposes 10.5 percent Homeowners Rate Hike
Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has proposed a 10.5 percent overall increase to homeowners-insurance rates in order to correct inadequate rates for wind-and-hail coverage, according to Richard Robertson, CEO of the state-run, last-resort insurer.
Web search giant Google Inc. has been granted tentative approval to form a captive insurance company in Hawaii.
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