Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Friday, June 17
Jun 17, 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
There are no insurance-related events scheduled for today.
SLIMPACT Supporters Criticize Florida’s Support For Nonadmitted Insurance Multi-state Agreement
Florida’s choice to implement federal surplus lines legislation is coming under heavy fire from industry trade groups.
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation Announces Multi-State Agreement to Implement Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Streamline Surplus Lines Reporting
- Blog: Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney says multi-state insurance agreement funnels money to wind pool
Drought, Raging Fires Begin to Consume Florida Resources
More than 420 fires flare throughout state
As remnants of smoke encircled the Capitol in Tallahassee on Thursday, Florida Cabinet members were briefed on the status of more than 420 fires throughout the state, and the dangerous drought conditions that help create and sustain them.
Blog: Citizens Property Insurance Corporation policyholders could pay $1,000 if major hurricane hits
The average Citizens Property Insurance policyholder could pay an estimated $1,000 in fees on their home and automobile insurance policies if a major hurricane the kind that strikes once every 100 years hits Florida.
Citizens’ Low Rates Costing Every Policyholder in Florida
Every car, boat, and homeowner in Florida is still paying for the hurricanes of 2004-2005 and will be for at least the next five years.
Pembroke Pines ready to issue red-light ticket refunds
Pembroke Pines is ready to shell out partial refunds for red-light camera tickets issued prior to July 1, 2010.
Tense meetings as Florida Medicaid overhaul continues
Medicaid patients begged state health officials Thursday not to expand a privatization program they say failed miserably in their county and prevented them from getting medications and doctor appointments.
Miami-Dade schools police bust bus drivers’ medical insurance bogus billing scheme
A medical clinic owner and two Miami-Dade school bus drivers have been arrested for allegedly conspiring to bill the district’s health insurance for phony medical procedures in a scheme that cost taxpayers at least $1 million.
Governor Scott suspends drug testing for most state workers
Governor Rick Scott delays drug testing in all agencies except the Department of Corrections.
Florida justices weaken Miranda warning requirements
Police don’t need to explicitly tell suspects they can have a lawyer with them during questioning under the Florida as well as U.S. constitutions as long as they get the message across in a reasonably understandable way, a divided state Supreme Court said in a pair of opinions Thursday.
Governor Scott and Cabinet, citing “public safety,” refuse to reappoint parole commissioner
Thursday was the last possible chance for reappointment of Parole Commissioners Tena Pate and Cassandra Jenkins.
Florida’s tax collector may get in the middle of online travel tax fight
Prodded on by Attorney General Pam Bondi, the state agency responsible for collecting taxes may wade a bit further into the ongoing debate over the taxes paid by online travel companies.
Florida Division of Veterans Affairs Director Milligan retires
Milligan retired today. Again.
Blog: Florida Democrats heading to the White House
Four Florida House Democrats are heading to the White House Friday at the invite of President Obama: State Representatives Dwight Bullard, Alan Williams, Joseph Abruzzo and Martin David Kiar.
Time: The Inscrutable Mr. Scott
Now that the dust from Scott’s first budget battle has settled, it’s time to revisit America’s favorite dysfunctional swing state and ask: Why have Floridians turned so sour on their new Governor?
Legislation Introduced to update tax break for small property and casualty insurers
Legislation has been introduced in the House designed to update a tax break for small property and casualty insurers to provide for inflation.
Blog: Senator files bill to kill Texas Wind Insurance Association
State Senator Troy Fraser has a new idea for the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association: Kill it.
U.S. Supreme Court Narrows Private Liability Under Securities Laws
Lawyers, accountants and investment advisers cannot be sued under securities laws by individuals for alleged false or misleading statements by others, the Supreme Court has ruled.
Houston Jury Finds for Insurer in $22 million Hail Damage Lawsuit
A jury in Houston, Texas, has found in favor of a property insurer in a lawsuit brought by a townhouse homeowners association over roof hail damage to 22 buildings.
Analysis: U.S. property/casualty reserves a ‘head wind’ against rate hikes
The U.S. property/casualty industry had $22 billion in redundant reserves at the end of 2010, virtually the same as year-end 2009, Aon Benfield Analytics said in an analysis.
Political ads on Facebook don’t need disclaimers, Federal Elections Commission rules
The Federal Election Commission has agreed that political ads on Faceboook don’t need any additional disclosures of who paid for the ads.
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