Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Friday, March 13, 2015
Mar 13, 2015
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Daily Florida Insurance-Related Events
There are no insurance-related events scheduled for today.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Bill to restore value of sinkhole homes has pros and cons
The winners of Florida’s “Great Sinkhole Lottery” could be in line to win again, Tampa Bay Times columnist Dan DeWitt writes.
Uber Could Soon Be Legal in Lee County, But Roadblocks Remain
Ride-share companies that act as middlemen between drivers and people needing a lift could soon “legally” operate in Lee County, Maryann Batlle reports for the “Political Fix Florida” blog.
Florida House OKs telehealth bill, but controversial reimbursement issue is looming
A House healthcare panel approved a telehealth bill on Thursday but there were warnings that the measure isn’t “floor ready.” SaintPetersBlog.com’s Christine Jordan Sexton reports.
New rules for limited medical marijuana in Florida met with legal challenge
Rules to implement Florida’s limited medical marijuana law, already mired in bureaucratic red tape, became further entangled this week by a new legal challenge, the Miami Herald’s Patricia Mazzei reports via the “Naked Politics” blog.
Darren Soto says cities, counties pushing for fracking ban
The Democratic sponsor of a Senate bill that would ban hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, said Thursday that local governments are creating a groundswell of support for the legislation. Bruce Ritchie reports for SaintPetersBlog.com.
Governor Rick Scott headed to California to lure jobs
Scott is planning an April trip as part of his effort to lure businesses from other states, Tampa Bay Times’ Amy Hollyfield notes.
State defense of Sunshine lawsuit could be a six-figure tab for Florida taxpayers
Governor Rick Scott and all three Cabinet members have assembled an army of legal firepower at taxpayer expense to defend themselves against charges they violated Florida’s Sunshine law. The Tampa Bay Times’ Steve Bousquet reports.
Is Adam Putnam winning the invisible primary for 2018?
It’s no secret that most Tallahassee insider and Florida politicos think that former legislator and U.S. congressman Adam Putnam will run for Florida Governor in 2018, explains Gary Fineout in his blog, “The Fine Print.”
Error kept names of 1,100 banned gun buyers in Orange County out of database
For nearly two years, the names of 1,100 severely mentally ill people in Orange County prohibited by law from buying guns sat in court files in the Orange County Clerk of Courts Office, but were not forwarded to a state and federal registry–meaning those 1,100 people were free to buy guns. Renee Stutzman reports for the Orlando Sentinel.
FPL shutting off power of customers who refused to pay Smart Meter opt-out fees
FPL’s $800 million smart meter roll out for residences and small and medium-sized businesses began in 2009 and was completed in 2013. Except for 6,500 customers who opted to pay fees to keep their old meters and the 82 who have refused to pay the fees, the rest of FPL’s 4.7 million customers have smart meters, Susan Salisbury reports for the Palm Beach Post.
Missouri Insurance Department Settles with AIG for $1.2M after Market Conduct Exam
Missouri insurance regulators announced a $1.2 million settlement agreement with nine AIG affiliated insurance companies after a market conduct examination into their handling of workers’ compensation insurance, Insurance Journal reports.
Reinsurance companies can now open branches in India
Reinsurance companies such as Munich Re and Swiss Re can open branches in India after the Rajya Sabha passed the Insurance Laws Bill 2015, The Economic Times reports.
The Justice Department’s nearly $5 million penalty against a California bank tied to its oversight of a third-party payment processor highlights an increasingly risky and challenging area of financial crime compliance: the actions of a customer’s customer. Brian Monroe reports for the Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists.
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