Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report – Friday, March 04, 2016
Mar 4, 2016
As time runs out for Insurance Reforms, Citizens turns up heat on water loss warnings
With time in the legislative session running out to enact insurance reforms, Citizens Property Insurance turned up the volume on its warnings that increased water loss claims will spark rate increases “for years to come” in South Florida. The Sun-Sentinel’s Ron Hurtibise reports.
Florida Number One for Motorcycle Fatalities
Although motorcycle riders account for just 7% of motorists in Florida, 19% of fatal accidents involve a bike, WCTV reports.
Army Corps to decrease Lake Okeechobee discharges to St. Lucie River starting Friday
Lake Okeechobee discharges to the St. Lucie River will be cut nearly in half starting Friday, though the lake still needs to drop nearly 3 1/2 feet by summer. TCPalm.com’s Tyler Treadway reports.
NSM Insurance Acquires Florida-Based Heacock Classic
NSM Insurance Group, has acquired Heacock Classic, a division of Florida-based Heacock Insurance Group that provides collector car insurance. This marks NSM Insurance Group’s third acquisition in the collector car insurance industry, Insurance Journal reports.
Florida Revamps Death Penalty, Making It Harder to Sentence Someone to Die
With Florida’s capital punishment system at a standstill, the state Senate passed a compromise bill on Thursday that would overhaul Florida’s death sentencing law, allowing the state to resume death penalty prosecutions by making it harder for juries to send someone to death row. Lizette Alvarez reports for the New York Times.
Debt-collection complaints spike in Florida, Federal Trade Commission report says
Florida residents in 2015 complained about debt collectors, impostors claiming to be friends or family, and identity theft at some of the highest per capita rates in the country, according to an annual report released this week by the Federal Trade Commission. The Sun-Sentinel’s Stephen Hobbs reports.
House and Senate Close Out Health Care, General Government Budget Silos
In a swift 15-minute meeting Thursday night, the full bicameral Budget Conference Committee closed out all remaining differences in the chambers’ massive health care and general government budget silos, swapping tens of millions of dollars and making significant progress towards reconciling their respective $80-plus billion proposals. Ryan Ray reports for FloridaPolitics.com.
Julie Jones adds a bit of swag to her pitch to get support for 734 additional jobs at prisons agency
Three critical audits found that an inexperienced and overstretched Corrections staff was creating a potentially dangerous work environment. Years of budget cuts had left the agency starved for funding for basic core services and, auditors found, a 17 percent turnover rate has left the department with inexperienced staff handling critical jobs. The Miami Herald’s Mary Ellen Klas reports via the “Naked Politics” blog.
House passes sweeping reforms to Florida Department of Financial Services
A bill making sweeping changes to the Florida Department of Financial Services is heading to the Senate Thursday after passing the House floor 114 to 1. Phil Ammann reports for FloridaPolitics.com.
Details emerge about Scott’s economic incentive priority
The talks that takes place between House and Senate budget-writers as they negotiate the outline of a proposed state spending plan usually remain shrouded in secrecy, but details are starting to emerge about how the Legislature built a budget with zero dollars for Governor Rick Scott’s top priority.
Florida Supreme Court Says Artist Can Sue UPS For Lost Paintings
The Florida Supreme Court says an artist can sue UPS in state court over two paintings taken from their shipping tube while in transit and sold at auction, WFLX reports.
Scott Decides to Sit Out Trump Appearance
As real-estate tycoon Donald Trump made his way to South Florida for a press conference on the night of the Super Tuesday primaries, there was rampant speculation that Gov. Rick Scott might endorse Trump’s insurgent campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.
Broward judge to hear case on whether Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are “natural born citizens”
A case challenging the eligibility of Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio to run for president will be heard in Broward County court at 11 a.m. Friday, the Miami Herald’s Amy Sherman reports via the “Naked Politics” blog.
FORTIFIED Home–High Wind, Hail Programs Launched at National Tornado Summit
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety launched its new FORTIFIED Home–High Wind and Hail programs at the National Tornado Summit in Oklahoma, Insurance Journal reports.
Click here to follow Colodny Fass on Twitter (@ColodnyFassLaw)
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please send an e-mail to colodnyfassnews@gmail.com.