Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report–Friday, May 23, 2014
May 23, 2014
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Daily Florida Insurance-Related Events
There are no events scheduled for today.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Commercial damage numbers from Florida flood rolling in
Many Panhandle business owners are facing a similar struggle in the aftermath of last month’s widespread flooding, writes Scott Davidson for the Pensacola News-Journal.
Fitch Upgrades Florida Housing Finance Corporation’s Guaranty Fund
Fitch Ratings upgrades the rating on Florida Housing Finance Corporation’s affordable housing guaranty fund to ‘A+’ from ‘A-‘. The Rating Outlook is Stable.
Florida Fire Department Obtains Better ISO Rating
Some home and business owners may see a reduction in their insurance rates after Aug. 1, Sebring city officials said. Jay Meisel of FireHouse.com reports.
Florida’s Brown & Brown Completes Acquisition of Wright Insurance Group
Florida-based Brown & Brown Inc. said it has completed its acquisition of specialty and flood insurance company The Wright Insurance Group, LLC.
Florida company focuses on fighting insurance fraud
Research suggests that Floridians pay a “fraud tax”of almost $100 a year in higher auto insurance premiums, Scott Johnson of WJXT-TV in Jacksonville reports.
Court weighing how many trauma centers Florida should have
Lawyers and witnesses trudged along Thursday in a long-lasting, stop-and-go fight over just how many trauma centers Florida should have, the Tampa Tribune’s James Rosica reports.
Appeals court rules that secret documents may not be made public in Florida redistricting trial
The First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee sided Thursday with Republican political consultants and ordered that 538 pages of their documents may be considered confidential “trade secrets” and should not be entered as evidence in the pending trial over the state’s congressional districts, Mary Ellen Klas reports for the Miami Herald’s “Naked Politics” blog.
Top legislative aides today’s witnesses in Florida redistricting trial
A trial challenging congressional district boundaries created in 2012 by the Republican-led Florida Legislature held its fourth day in Tallahassee, with key legislative staffers testifying, John Kennedy reports for the Palm Beach Post.
Justices Hand Blind Trusts Lawsuit to Circuit Court
Florida Supreme Court justices on Wednesday handed off an “emergency lawsuit” challenging elected officials’ use of blind trusts to the Leon County Circuit Court, SunshineStateNews.com reports.
South Florida Water Management District wins state Supreme Court decision
The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday sided with the South Florida Water Management District in a battle about the extent of evidence needed to impose financial penalties on a land developer, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA reports via the Palm Beach Post.
State Representative Eric Eisnaugle endorses Shawn Harrison in Florida House District 63
Newly re-elected State Representative Eric Eisnaugle announced today he is endorsing his former colleague Shawn Harrison in his quest to reclaim State House District 63.
Tampa-area lawmakers make the grade in Florida Chamber of Commerce annual report card
Fifteen Tampa Bay legislators, all Republicans, have earned “A”s from the Florida Chamber of Commerce on its 2014 Legislative Report Card, the Tampa Tribune reports.
Tampa developer, GOP heavyweight Al Austin dies
Al Austin, Tampa developer, philanthropist and heavyweight Republican fundraiser, died Wednesday night at 85, William March reports for the Tampa Tribune.
The Medical Loss Ratio provision of the Affordable Care Act is “working the way we hoped it would,” Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV, D-W. Va., said at a contentious Senate hearing yesterday during which Republicans challenged aspects of the law. Arthur Postal reports for National Underwriter’s PropertyCasualty360.com.
U.S. House Bill Would Let Military Personnel Retain Auto Insurance When They Are Transferred
Legislation has been introduced in Congress that would allow members of the U.S. military to retain their auto-insurance policies when they are transferred to new bases, Arthur Postal reports for National Underwriter’s PropertyCasualty360.com.
Ridesharing Firms Uber, Lyft Accused of Racketeering in Connecticut Cab Lawsuit
Ride-sharing services Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. were accused of racketeering in a lawsuit by Connecticut taxi and livery firms, which said the companies “prey parasitically” on established services, Bloomberg’s Christie Smythe reports via Insurance Journal.
Lloyd’s U.S. Chief on Board with Climate Change
Despite risking offense to non-believers, Hank Watkins didn’t hesitate when he was asked if climate change was upon us, Don Jergler reports for Insurance Journal.
When it comes to wildfires, the insurance industry is behind the curve
There are compelling reasons for the insurance industry to be paying greater attention to wildfires, the Los Angeles Times Editorial Board writes.
4 Ways Insurance Might Respond if Godzilla Attacks
The dollar amount of insurance claims and collateral damage that would result if a 335-foot prehistoric lizard really did hit San Francisco could make Godzilla’s latest box office ticket sales seem pale in comparison, Laura Mazzuca Toops writes for National Underwriter’s PropertyCasualty360.com.
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