Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Friday, March 9
Mar 9, 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
8:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.–Senate Session
- HB 4087 relating to the Repeal of a Workers’ CompensationIndependent Actuarial Peer Review Requirement by State Representative Ben Albritton
- CS/SB 1346 Relating to Citizens Property Insurance Corporation by Senate Committee on Budget; Senator Steve Oelrich
- CS/CS/SB 1428 relating to Renewal of a Commercial Lines Insurance Policy by Senate Budget Subcommittee on General Government Appropriations; Banking and Insurance; Senator Smith
- SB 1814 relating to the Uniform Home Grading Scale by Senator Chris Smith
- SB 2082 relating to Open Government Sunset Review/Florida Workers’ Compensation Joint Underwriting Association, Inc. by the Senate Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability
10:00 a.m.–House Session
Florida Senator Alexander tries alternate route to Catastrophe Fund fix — in conforming bill
A new provision introduced into the budget would provide tax credits to property insurance companies that pay their insurance premium taxes in advance.
WESTCHESTER FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY v. CITY OF BROOKSVILLE
This state-law case is about performance bonds and an abandoned single-family housing development in the City of Brooksville, Florida.
Blog: Limit on doctors-dispensing-drugs revived in the Florida House
The House late Thursday moved forward with a controversial proposal that would limit the amount doctors can charge when they dispense drugs to workers-compensation insurance patients, reports the News Service of Florida.
Stage Set for Florida Personal Injury Protection Showdown; Special Session Possible
The Florida Senate has rewritten the House’s bill aimed at reforming the state’s no-fault auto law, adding numerous provisions that are opposed by House lawmakers.
- Personal Injury Protection overhaul comes down to last day of session; Governor Rick Scott siding with Florida House
- Personal Injury Protection Reform Efforts Racing to Session’s Finish Line on Separate Tracks
- Editorial: Don’t adjourn without passing Personal Injury Protection reform
Budget talks settle on county Medicaid billing scheme
House and Senate budget negotiators agreed Wednesday to begin garnishing county revenues to collect unpaid Medicaid bills.
“Compromise” on expert testimony passes Florida Senate unanimously
The Senate made changes to its overhaul of requirements for expert testimony Thursday but the bill remains at odds with the House’s proposal, with a day remaining to reconcile the differences.
Survey Seeks Agents’ Views on Florida’s Insurance Market
So much that is said and written about Florida’s insurance climate is negative. Is there anything good to say about Florida’s insurance market?
Blog: It’s the 60th day and the Sine Die clock is ticking
It is March 9, the 60th and last scheduled day of the regular session, and here’s where things stand: Legislators have passed 166 bills only eight of which have been signed by the governor.
- “Weird vibe” pervades Capitol as observers look for signs of final-day meltdown
- Florida legislative session ending with much unresolved
- Blog: Senate President Mike Haridopolos bids farewell to Senate ‘I’ll miss being in the arena’
- Blog: House Speaker Dean Cannon bids adieu, tells House to fear not
Florida Legislature Votes to Give Businesses Break on Unemployment Tax Hike
Businesses would see a much smaller increase in their unemployment compensation tax because the state would take longer to pay back a loan to Washington under legislation passed Thursday by the House and sent to Governor Rick Scott.
Business tax cut headed to ballot after clearing Florida Senate
The Senate unanimously passed a constitutional amendment Thursday that increases the exemption from tangible personal property taxes that businesses pay from $25,000 to $50,000.
Attempt to expand early voting fails in Florida Senate
A last-ditch effort to expand early voting before Florida’s legislative session ends this week failed in the state Senate yesterday.
Blog: Florida Senate votes to keep economic-development deals secret, sort of
The Senate voted Thursday to re-enact a public-records exemption for tax-incentive deals that shields them from public release for up to two years, a normally routine procedure that became slightly less so this year after the state’s jobs agencies admitted they’d lost track of some past deals.
Florida sales tax holiday could win approval Friday
Shoppers who look forward to a tax holiday each August appear to be in luck again this year.
Environmental permitting bill that failed last year passes Florida Senate, goes to governor
A permit streamlining bill similar to legislation that died last year without a vote in the Senate passed that chamber unanimously on Thursday.
Tuition bill quietly clears Florida Senate, heads to governor
The Florida Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would allow the University of Florida and Florida State University to raise tuition beyond the current limits in state law.
Bay of Pigs Museum, Disney Transit Line Among $70 Billion Budget Plans
Legislators are expected to cast the final voted on the $70.4 billion budget for the next fiscal year on Friday afternoon.
Plaintiffs in Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Suit to Seize Cash
The plaintiffs who won a $92.8 million judgment against Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. three years ago plan to seize the company’s cash as a result of a ruling late on March 6 in a Jefferson Parish state district court.
Got Solvency? Work on NAIC’s ORSA Model Act Underway
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners expects to craft a model law on ORSA, the NAIC’s version of the Own Risk and Solvency Assessment by the August summer meeting, and adopted the ORSA Guidance Manual at the conclusion of its Spring Meeting in New Orleans March 6.
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