Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: July 15, 2013
Jul 15, 2013
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
11:00 a.m.–Citizens Property Insurance Corporation Finance and Investment Committee meeting; 11:00 a.m. Teleconference: (866) 361-7525; participant code: 2478401990#. To view the meeting materials, click here.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Florida’s Citizens Insurance seeking big rate increase
Citizens Property Insurance homeowners policyholders in the Tampa Bay area may be paying as much as $200 more yearly as the insurer seeks approval from the state to raise rates, James Rosica reports for the Tampa Tribune.
Florida House District 61 candidate Sean Smith rolls out “Let’s Protect Florida” message
On Tuesday, attorney and consumer insurance advocate Sean Shaw is taking his message of “Let’s Protect Florida” to his supporters, reports Phil Ammann for SaintPetersBlog.com.
Palm Coast’s flood insurance rates hinge on audit
Improving the city’s federal standing as a floodplain-conscientious area to help lower flood insurance rates for homeowners is serious business for Palm Coast officials, Tom Holt reports for the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Editorial: South Florida Can’t Ignore Impending Doom
Imagining a Category Five hurricane striking Miami in 2030, it foresees a 24-foot storm surge, hundreds of people dead, buildings swept away, and large swaths of coastal highways swallowed by the ocean, the Sun-Sentinel’s Editorial Board writes.
Malpractice lawyers say new Florida law violates patient privacy
Anyone looking to sue a doctor for malpractice in Florida could lose their privacy rights under a state law that took effect last week, according to a series of lawsuits filed across the state, Rafael Olmeda writes for the Sun Sentinel.
Top political donors get mixed bag of results on their campaign cash
Health insurance giant Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida gave more money to Florida campaigns than any other single entity in the 2012 election cycle, Mary Ellen Klas and Trevor Aaronson report for The Miami Herald.
Charlie Crist could pick entire Florida Supreme Court if he wins second term
Should former Gov. Charlie Crist once again win election to the Malpractice lawyers say new state law violates patient privacygovernor’s office, he will likely have four more appointments to the Florida Supreme Court, Gray Rohrer reports for The Florida Current.
Florida braces for medical marijuana campaign
Florida allows neither recreational use of pot nor medicinal use. Several attempts have been made to get the Legislature to approve medical marijuana, but the bills never advanced far. Now, however, a major push to take the question to voters is starting, Cindy Swirko writes for the Gainesville Sun.
Florida Republican Party Seeking to Expand Voter Base on Economic Message
The Republican Party of Florida’s quarterly meeting centered on pushing a positive message of economic recovery under Gov. Rick Scott to people beyond its traditional voter base, but also on data mining and targeting more voters through an aggressive ground game in 2014, Gray Rohrer reports for The Florida Current.
Republican Doug Broxson Faces 2014 Primary Challenge
As he runs again for the Florida House in 2014, Rep. Doug Broxson, R-Milton, drew a Republican primary challenger this week, Kevin Derby reports for SunshineStateNews.com.
In 2012, incumbent State Rep. Scott Plakon was narrowly unseated by challenger Karen Castor Dentel; meanwhile, challenger-turned-Representative Mike Clelland defeated Republican incumbent and future House Speaker Chris Dorworth, Peter Schorsch of SaintPetersBlog.com reports.
Florida Senator Brandes to file privacy reform bill
Florida Senator Jeff Brandes announced that he is preparing to file privacy legislation that seeks to provide Floridians with a greater level of protection for their personal information, Peter Schorsch of SaintPetersBlog.com reports.
Basel III Capital Requirements at Issue in U.S. Senate Banking Hearing
In U.S. Senate Banking Committee testimony this week, Federal Reserve Board Gov. Daniel K. Tarullo offered a few insights to the Federal Reserve as it develops capital rules for insurers under its oversight, Elizabeth Festa reports for National Underwriter’s PropertyCasualty360.com.
Bipartisan U.S. Senate Megabank Bill Would Split Banking from Insurance, Other Risks
A small bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced legislation last week that would break up Wall Street’s megabanks by separating traditional banking activity from riskier financial services, Reuters reports for Insurance Journal.
Louisiana Legislator to Head Louisiana Health Cooperative
Louisiana Health Cooperative Inc. named state Rep. Greg Cromer, a Republican representing the Slidell area, as its CEO.
Zurich Settles With California Regulators to Keep Workers’ Comp Arbitrations in State
Zurich American Insurance Co. is the first workers’ compensation insurer to reach a settlement with California since a new law that requires insurers to keep arbitration disputes with employers in California.
Defense claims murdered Nevada insurance official had darker side
Defense attorneys plan to present evidence questioning the character of Nevada’s chief insurance examiner, who was killed April 2 at his Carson City apartment, the Associated Press reports via KRNV-TV in Reno.
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