Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Monday, August 12
Aug 12, 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
9:00 a.m.–Executive Office of the Governor public meeting. Tallahassee, Florida. Citizens Property Insurance Corporation Inspector General candidate interviews. To view the meeting notice, click here.
10:30 a.m.–Florida Insurance Consumer Advocate’s Homeowners’ Policy and Claims Bill of Rights Working Group meeting. Discussion of draft recommendations on alternative dispute resolution and insurers’ right to repair. Teleconference: (850) 413-1558; conference ID: 5836899. To view the draft recommendations, click here.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Central Florida Sinkhole Causes Resort Near Disney to Collapse
A sinkhole caused a section of a central Florida resort villa to partially collapse early Monday, while another section of the villa was sinking, CBS News reports.
Florida CFO names Chris Gardner new chairman of Citizens’ Board of Governors
Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater today announced the appointment of Chris Gardner as Chairman of the Board of Governors for Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, Peter Schorsch reports for SaintPetersBlog.com.
Panel discusses South Florida insurance issues
A panel of insurance industry players, hosted by state Sen. Eleanor Sobel, gathered at the Hallandale Beach City Hall on Thursday evening for a town hall meeting on property insurance, the Sun-Sentinel’s Maria Mallory White reports.
Florida hospitals blast reimbursement cuts
The Florida Hospital Association isn’t happy with the feds. And it all because of slashed inpatient facility reimbursement rates, Allison Bell reports for LifeHealthPro.com.
Politifact: Florida stripped insurance commissioner of power to set health plan rates
Politifact rates as “True” a claim by Democrats that Florida lawmakers have left the state vulnerable to unreasonably high insurance premiums in an effort to undermine Obamacare.
Florida revenue growth slim over past 4 months
State economists said Friday that Florida’s revenue collections were on the money for the past fiscal year, and projected a fairly small increase in major taxes and fee collections for the next two fiscal years, Bill Cotterell reports for The Florida Current.
Florida sheriffs endorse Stand Your Ground law
The Florida Sheriffs Association has voiced strong support for the state’s controversial “stand your ground” self-defense law, which has become the focal point of a prolonged sit-in at the state Capitol amid calls for a special legislative session, Bill Cotterell reports for The Florida Current.
Wu picked to lead Florida League of Cities
Councilman takes the helm after predecessor is arrested by the FBI
Pensacola City Council President P.C. Wu is now also president of the Florida League of Cities, Nate Monroe of the Pensacola News-Journal reports.
Blog: Why Mike Fasano Will Remain a Powerful Player
Tampa Bay Times columnist Bill Stevens explains why he doesn’t think Mike Fasano is headed into obscurity as the new Pasco tax collector.
Senator Flores refiles bill to move to January session
Senator Anitere Flores, R-Miami, filed SB 72 Friday, which would move the start of the 60-day regular legislative session to January beginning in 2016. Regular legislative sessions start in March each year, Gray Rohrer reports for The Florida Current.
Legislators want alimony reform, only if Governor approves
Last spring Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a bill that overhauled Florida’s divorce laws; lawmakers and alimony-reform advocates are trying again in the 2014 session, Peter Schorsch reports for SaintPetersBlog.com.
Democrat Joe Saunders Draws a Republican Opponent in Orange County
Freshman Rep. Joe Saunders, D-Orlando, drew an opponent this week in Edward Nelson Rodriguez, a retired law enforcement officer who has been active in business and with the Orange County GOP, Kevin Derby reports for SunshineStateNews.com.
Federal Advisory Committee on Insurance Renewed for Another Two Years
The Federal Advisory Committee on Insurance (FACI) has gotten its charter renewed for two more years. FACI’s original two-year charter was up Aug. 4, Elizabeth Festa reports for National Underwriter’s PropertyCasualty360.com.
Slack demand, but big promise still seen for Hurricane Sandy insurance mediation
One of New Jersey’s efforts to help Hurricane Sandy victims resolve their insurance woes has had an unexpected result: few takers, Ed Beeson reports for the New Jersey Star-Ledger.
Move to bring back Lloyd’s firms domiciled abroad to boost United Kingdom tax coffers
The United Kingdom is hoping to tempt Lloyd’s of London insurers back in a move that would boost the nation’s tax coffers, The Independent reports via Advisen.com.
Cat Bonds, Side Cars Keeping Reinsurance Rates Low Says Guy Carpenter
Guy Carpenter & Co. has issued a report, which concludes that “reinsurance market rates on line continued to be driven by an influx of capital from third-party investors at the July 1 renewals, in spite of catastrophe losses reaching approximately $20 billion during the first six months of 2013 (above the ten-year average for the period),” Insurance Journal reports.
Report: Climate Change Is Impacting California
A snapshot of how climate change is affecting California’s natural resources was detailed in a report released last Thursday, the Associated Press reports via Insurance Journal.
U.S. Still Displeased With Japanese Insurance Industry
The United States still sees barriers to entering the Japanese insurance market, even after Japan Post Insurance Co. announced plans last month to strengthen its partnership with American Family Life Assurance Co. of Columbus, or Aflac, Nikkei English News reports via Advisen.com.
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