Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report–Monday, July 21, 2014
Jul 21, 2014
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Daily Florida Insurance-Related Events
There are no events scheduled for today.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Florida ranks number one for the highest number of homes at risk of storm surge damage, with nearly 2.5 million homes at various risk levels and $490 billion in total potential exposure to damage, Risk and Insurance Management Society’s Emily Holbrook reports in the National Law Review.
Florida’s Citizens Insurance still not paying claims nine years after Wilma
More than eight years after Hurricane Wilma hit Southwest Florida, a Marco Island condominium complex is still fighting Citizens Property Insurance over a $4 million claim, Jim Spiewak reports for NBC News.
Climate war on: Charlie Crist agrees to meet with scientists, so Governor Rick Scott follows suit
Democratic candidate for governor Charlie Crist fueled the climate wars Friday and called Florida State University oceanography professor Jeff Chanton offering to meet with the scientists who asked to meet with Governor Rick Scott, the Miami Herald’s Mary Ellen Klas reports via the Tampa Bay Times.
Hernando County sinkhole opens, draws gawkers
A sinkhole that opened up this weekend in Hernando County became a spectacle by Sunday afternoon, Tampa Bay Times’ Kathryn Varn reports.
Former Florida Insurance Consumer Advocate Sean Shaw gets police backing
Sean Shaw announced on Thursday receiving support from the Tampa Police Benevolent Association as the Democratic candidate for Florida House District 61, SaintPetersBlog.com reports.
R.J. Reynolds Vows to Fight $23.6 Billion in Florida Smoking Lawsuit
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco executive J. Jeffery Raborn has called damages awarded by a Pensacola jury “grossly excessive and impermissible under state and constitutional law.” The Associated Press’ Jennifer Kay reports via the Lakeland Ledger.
Federated National Holding Company and C.A. Bancorp Inc. Announce Joint Venture
Federated National Holding Company and C.A. Bancorp Inc. will form a new Florida-based property and casualty insurance carrier to be named Monarch National Insurance Company, the companies announced in a news release today.
Medical marijuana: Florida’s new business boom
A new Florida law allows five medical marijuana dispensaries to cultivate marijuana low in tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the chemical that provides a euphoric high, but high in cannabidiol, or CBD, which can calm seizures. The plants will be processed into an oil form and taken orally, the Miami Herald’s Audra Burch reports via InsuranceNewsNet.com.
Florida judge: Write-in candidates don’t have to live in district where they run for office
It just got easier to be a write-in candidate in Florida, reports Kathleen McGrory for Tampa Bay Times.
Latvala and Negron square off anew in Florida Senate battle
Locked in a long-running fight for future control of the Florida Senate, Republicans Jack Latvala and Joe Negron both claim to have the inside track to clinch the presidency in 2016, Tampa Bay Times’ Steve Bousquet reports for the “Naked Politics” blog.
Florida leads nation in foreclosures so far this year
A report released last week by the research firm RealtyTrac says Florida’s foreclosure rate was the nation’s highest for the first half of 2014. The Associated Press reports via the Lakeland Ledger.
Election complaints against Charlie Crist and Rick Scott thrown out
Election year complaints contending that Charlie Crist and former Gov. Rick Scott broke campaign finance laws are getting thrown out, Associated Press’ Gary Fineout reports via SaintPetersBlog.com.
Stumbles aside, numerous numbers favor Rick Scott
Don’t let the news coverage fool you. Crist has serious trouble on his hands, the Miami Herald’s Marc Caputo reports via the “Naked Politics” blog.
Even to opponents, Crist running mate Annette Taddeo is well-regarded
When it comes to the mechanics of fundraising and generating buzz, Republicans should not – and will not – take Annette Taddeo lightly, the Miami Herald’s Marc Caputo reports via the “Naked Politics” blog.
Arbitration on Panama Canal dispute to begin in Miami
A $180 million claim involving the Panama Canal’s disputed $1.6 billion cost overrun is headed to arbitration court in Miami next week, canal officials said on Monday. Reuters’ Zachary Fagenson and David Adams report.
Battle looms over Florida goals for conserving electricity
Power bills in Florida traditionally include a charge of several dollars a month that utilities use to invest in things like customer rebates for installing better insulation, efficient windows and power-saving appliances, the Orlando Sentinel reports.
Police Cutbacks Mean Citizens Pay Twice for Protection
If you want police protection in Florida, you’re going to have to pay extra for it, writes Watchdog.org’s Marianela Toledo for SunshineStateNews.com.
Carl Hiaasen: Florida taxpayers about to be railroaded
All Aboard Florida already has applied for $1.6 billion in federal loans, and plans to rent space at a new terminal at the Orlando International Airport for which state lawmakers recently appropriated $213 million. The PoliticalFixFlorida.com blog notes Carl Hiaasen’s column in the Miami Herald.
Congress mulls various measures targeting disaster mitigation and resilience
Proponents of enhanced federal support of disaster mitigation hope the memory of previous catastrophes will spur action on a quartet of bills during the waning days of the current Congress, Mark Hofmann reports for Business Insurance.
What they’re saying about the U.S. Senate’s TRIA bill
Insurance industry trade group officials lauded passage of the Senate version of legislation reauthorizing a federal backstop to terrorism risk insurance and urged the House to act promptly. National Underwriter’s Arthur Postal rounds up a collection of industry quotes in PropertyCasualty360.com.
Louisiana Commissioner Asks State Farm to Offer Lower Hurricane Deductible
Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon has asked State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. to offer its Louisiana policyholders Louisiana the option of a 2 percent hurricane deductible on their homeowners’ insurance policies by paying the actuarially needed difference in premium, if they choose, Insurance Journal reports.
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