Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Friday, May 27
May 27, 2011
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
10:00 a.m.–Florida Workers’ Compensation Joint Underwriting Association Joint and Concurrent Operations and Rates and Forms Committee meeting; To view the meeting notice, click here.
Woman Sentenced For Changing Citizens Insurance’s Mailing Address
A 23-year-old Hialeah Gardens woman was sentenced Wednesday to eighteen months in federal prison for submitting false change of address forms to the U.S. Postal Service by changing Citizens Property Insurance’s address.
Blog: Will tornadoes fuel support for national catastrophe insurance?
Do the tornado outbreaks this year prove that the Midwest is just as prone to disasters as states like Florida with its hurricanes and California with its earthquakes?
Editorial: Property insurance changes encourage more gouging of homeowners
Brevard County has been spared hurricanes since 2005, when the remnants of Wilma barreled into town in late October, bringing flooding and destruction and knocking out power in thousands of homes.
Majority of Floridians still see regulation as key to defend against pushy property insurers
Wake up and good morning. It didn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out Floridians are dissatisfied with the property Insurance market.
Florida HMO profits surge 18 percent
It is not just premiums that are rising for Florida HMOs their profits increased nearly 18 percent in 2010.
Medicaid meetings kick off June 13 in Tallahassee
State schedules 11 Medicaid managed care meetings in preparation of new Medicaid program included in major overhaul approved this past session by the Florida Legislature.
Florida Governor Scott Claims $615 Million in Budget Cuts
Governor Rick Scott signed the 2011 Florida budget Thursday in the rural setting of The Villages, simultaneously announcing $615 million in line-item vetoes.
- Governor Scott Line-Item Vetoes Parallel TaxWatch ‘Turkeys’
- James Madison Institute Cheers 2011 Legislative Session
- Governor Scott doesn’t spare health care in his budget vetoes
- Governor Scott ticks off environmentalists by cutting water districts, vetoing Florida Forever
- Governor Rick Scott slashes budget; vetoes hit hard on First Coast
- Senate president’s district gets largest earmark
- Blog: Governor Rick Scott’s budget signing scripted down to who could attend
Governor Rick Scott signs pension reform into law
State employees will be required to put 3 percent of their salaries toward retirement starting in July.
It took a court decision, but Florida’s minimum wage will go up six cents June 1
Florida’s minimum wage will increase from $7.25 to $7.31 per hour effective June 1 – a result of a successful constitutional challenge filed in January by farm, restaurant, nursery and service employees, as well as day laborers and other low-wage workers.
A group of homeowners from six central Florida counties converged on the Capitol for a prayer vigil Thursday, asking God to help Attorney General Pam Bondi see the light and force the nation’s five largest mortgage lenders to reduce principal balances on their underwater homes.
Obama’s approval up in Florida; U.S. Senator Nelson holds early lead
A new Quinnipiac poll shows President Barack Obama’s approval rating jumping to a positive 51 percent, while U.S. Senator Bill Nelson is off to a large early lead over GOP challengers.
State mental hospitals start notifying employees of layoffs
State mental hospitals have begun notifying about 240 administrative and maintenance employees of impending layoffs, part of nearly 500 job cuts earlier announced by the Department of Children and Families.
Department of Juvenile Justice announces closing of several facilities
More than 700 people will lose their jobs when the Department of Juvenile Justice closes several facilities this summer.
More than a dozen apply to become Florida’s next education commissioner
At least a dozen candidates have applied to be Florida’s next education commissioner.
Undaunted Democratic legislator pushes recall provision again
Undaunted by his inability to get his proposal heard this year, a St. Petersburg Democratic lawmaker is pushing ahead again with a proposed constitutional amendment that would let voters recall the governor as well as members of the Cabinet and the Florida Legislature.
Cost hikes ahead of hurricane season
Property and casualty insurers craving respite from a long-running drop in prices are eyeing the start of the U.S. hurricane season next week in the hope that summer windstorms will finally turn the market.
Oklahoma Governor Signs Workers’ Compensation Overhaul Bill
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin signed eight bills on Tuesday, including one for an overhaul of workers’ compensation law.
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