Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report–Friday, January 23, 2015

Jan 23, 2015

 

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


Looking Ahead–Interim Committee Meetings

  • Week of February 2, 2015
  • Week of February 9, 2015
  • Week of February 16, 2015

 

 

Daily Florida Insurance-Related News

 

Consumer Group Urges Florida to Keep McCarty as Commissioner

A national consumer group is urging Florida to keep its current insurance regulator, a man the group says is one of the best regulators in the country but who is rumored to be under pressure to resign by the Scott Administration.   Amy O’Connor reports for Insurance Journal.

 

Regulator on hot seat:  Up to Florida legislators to regulate health rates

Florida’s self-imposed ban on regulating health insurance rates expires March 1, but consumers hoping for a check on unfettered price hikes might want to keep a couple of aspirin handy.   The Palm Beach Post’s Charles Elmore reports via InsuranceNewsNet.com.

 

Florida Property & Casualty Association Opposes Proposed Mold Remediator Minimum Standards

Under proposed Rules, Florida mold assessors would use assignments of benefits resulting in added costs to every water damage claim, the Florida Property & Casualty Association explains.

 

Florida-based Universal Insurance Holdings Writes First Indiana Homeowners Policy

Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. announced today that the Indiana Department of Insurance has approved the homeowners insurance forms of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company.

 

A Hialeah ZIP code leads nation in Obamacare enrollment

In one Hialeah ZIP Code, where signs selling “Obamacare” are plastered across storefronts and cover freeway billboards, more people have selected a plan on the Affordable Care Act insurance exchange than in any spot in the country, according to the data release by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday.  The Miami Herald’s Nick Nehemas and Dan Chang report via the “Naked Politics” blog.

 

Governor’s Office Answers on Gerald Bailey, Florida Department of Law Enforcement

Governor Rick Scott’s press office provided answers Thursday to questions about Gerald Bailey’s forced resignation on December 16 from his job as commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the allegations that Bailey later made about the Governor.  SunshineStateNews.com reports.

 

Rick Scott takes back $580,000 from Florida GOP

More fallout from the battle for the Florida GOP leadership:  Governor Rick Scott took back $580,000 from the Republican Party of Florida, SaintPetersBlog.com’s Phil Ammann reports.

 

Bill Johnson Takes Over as CEO of Enterprise Florida

Bill Johnson, well-known throughout the Sunshine State for his leadership of Miami’s port, was chosen on Thursday to replace outgoing state Commerce Secretary Gray Swoope as CEO of Enterprise Florida, the public-private partnership focused on expanding economic development.  After leaving PortMiami, Johnson took over as director of the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department.  Kevin Derby reports for SunshineStateNews.com.

 

Putnam on Water Policy:  Get Priorities Right First, Then Spend Accordingly

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam urged members of the House State Affairs Committee — the lawmakers charged with increasing spending on water sources and sensitive lands  — to first create “an overarching, already prioritized (water) policy”  that will keep the state on the right course for land purchase in good times and bad.  SunshineStateNews.com publisher Nancy Smith reports.

 

Tampa climbs 30 places in world metro economy rankings

Tampa moved up 30 places from last year on a Brookings Institution list to 141, ranking it lowest of the Florida cities included – Orlando at 73, Jacksonville at 83 and Miami at 116.  The Associated Press reports via the Tampa Tribune.

 

Gainesville fast becoming a growth area

The Gainesville Real Estate Forum has gone from what organizer Beau Beery described as an annual pity party full of doom and gloom when it started in 2010 to one of cautious optimism last year, the Gainesville Sun reports.

 

 

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