Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Friday, May 11
May 11, 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
11:30 a.m.–Florida Governor Rick Scott will be in Tampa, Florida, to participate in a roundtable discussion about personal injury protection (“PIP”) auto insurance and discuss recently signed legislation aimed at reducing PIP fraud. (The Governor held a similar event in Orlando at 9:00 a.m.)
Florida hurricane insurance fund may not cover needs
Florida may not have enough money to pay off hurricane insurance claims if a big storm hits this year.
Miami Boat Captain Charged with Insurance Fraud Over Sinking of $1.8 Million Yacht
A Miami boat captain has been arrested on a first-degree grand theft charge for allegedly sinking a $1.86 million yacht in 2009 off the Bahamas.
Palm Beach County arrests 20 during insurance fraud crackdown
Palm Beach County law enforcement officers arrested 20 people and cited hundreds more during a six-hour motor vehicle insurance fraud crackdown Tuesday.
Blog: Workers’ Compensation Institute’s Joan Collier Reports on NCCI Conference
Insurance Information Institute Chief Executive Officer Bob Hartwig grabbed the stage with his usual energy at the late morning session of NCCI’s Annual Symposium today in Orlando.
A bill signed last week by Governor Rick Scott with near unanimous support in the Legislature would broaden liability protection for landowners who provide public outdoor recreation on their land.
High court hears arguments on class-action arbitration
The Florida Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in a case that could affect the ability of companies to require consumers to pursue claims individually and not as groups in arbitration cases.
In foreclosure case arguments, justices wary of overturning dismissal
The Florida Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a potential watershed case Thursday that could chasten the actions of banks and lenders seeking foreclosures.
Blog: Tampa decision does not settle rent and eviction dispute
Today, a Tampa area homeowner lost her plea against an homeowner association to dismiss the eviction of her tenant, that ultimately left her without possession, control or access to her own property.
Governor Rick Scott job czar claims 21,000 future new jobs
Although most of the details are still shrouded from public view, Governor Rick Scott’s jobs czar said Thursday that the state’s array of economic-incentive programs have helped “establish” more than 21,000 jobs since last July.
Judge in online travel case calls for clarity in tax law
The Leon County Circuit judge who last month sided with online travel companies in a long-running legal dispute said in a written opinion issued this week that lawmakers should clarify the issue in statute.
Florida Supreme Court rules term limits for county commissioners are OK
The Florida Supreme Court unanimously upheld the constitutionality of term limits for county commissioners Thursday, effectively ending Sarasota County Commissioner Jon Thaxton’s bid for re-election.
New Everglades cleanup could cost $880 million
Florida’s revamped plan to restore the Everglades could soak taxpayers for another $880 million to save the famed River of Grass, according to estimates released Thursday.
The hunt for noncitizen Florida voters exposes partisan divide
Amid an increasingly partisan dogfight, Florida elections officials say the number of potential noncitizens they’re examining on the state voter rolls is 180,000, a figure far higher than what was initially reported.
“New poor” flood Legal Aid as offices cut back
A cross-section of South Florida’s new poor gathers each weekday morning in the lobby of the one place in Broward County where the indigent can get free legal representation, bringing with them a wealth of woes and a little bit of hope.
Spring is in the air, and so are job changes for state workforce
The 2012-13 state budget approved by legislators provides for 4,354 fewer authorized positions as of July 1.
Ex-GOP pol eyes Florida Senate bid
Former Republican Representative Dave Weldon is seriously considering entering the Florida Senate race and will make a decision on a campaign next week, POLITICO has learned.
Former state Representative Adam Fetterman seeks District 84 House seat
Former State Representative Adam Fetterman said Thursday he hopes to return to the state Legislature, this time from a newly-created District 84 that covers much of Port St. Lucie and all of Hutchinson Island in St. Lucie County.
Proposal offers way to help pay SunRail’s operating bill
A bipartisan bill circulating in Congress could help the SunRail commuter train in Central Florida pay for millions of dollars in annual operating deficits.
Alligators in southwest Florida on the move
A dry winter and spring in southwest Florida means that alligators are on the move, seeking fresh water and new food sources.
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