Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report–Monday, June 16
Jun 16, 2014
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
There are no events scheduled for today.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Flood insurance bill signed into law
Florida homeowners will now have more choices for affordable flood insurance with Governor Rick Scott’s signed a Senator Jeff Brandes’ bill to create a private market for flood insurance, SaintPetersBlog.com reports.
Florida Governor Signs Bill To Curb Gotcha Insurance Denials
Governor Rick Scott signed a host of bills Friday including reinforced rules against controversial claims denials scrutinized by The Palm Beach Post at the state’s largest private insurer, a new homeowner bill of rights and a measure to boost private flood insurance, Charles Elmore reports for the Palm Beach Post via InsuranceNewsNet.com.
Nearly decade after Wilma, FEMA wants some Floridians to pay money back
One fifth of 1 percent of the nearly quarter million Florida households that got Wilma assistance are being asked by FEMA to repay the money, Palm Beach Post’s Eliot Kleinberg reports via InsuranceNewsNet.com.
Florida regulators: Insurance plan offered to Pasco school district may be illegal
The Pasco County School District has cut off negotiations with a company that was offering free life insurance policies for all school employees, Laura Kinsler reports for the Tampa Tribune.
Renewing Florida drivers’ license? Hello, tax collector
The Florida Division of Highway and Motor Vehicles, which for many years was the only place to get driver’s licenses and license plates and take driving tests, has slowly been turning over those duties to tax collectors in most Florida counties, Mike Salinero reports via the “Political Fix Florida” blog.
Congressman Deutch Calls on Governor to Hold Special Session on Veterans’ Access to Medicaid
After holding an emergency meeting on veterans’ access to care with his Palm Beach County and Broward County Veterans Advisory Councils, Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-21) called on Governor Rick Scott to convene a special legislative session focused on a Medicaid expansion that will cover more than 40,000 uninsured Florida veterans, InsuranceNewsNet.com reports.
What Would Define a “Caregiver” in New Florida Medical Marijuana Era?
The “drug dealer loophole,” as Vote No On 2 calls it, means that caregivers don’t need medical training and “can be felons – even drug dealers,” a medical marijuana opposition group claims. Politifact.com Florida investigates.
Mosquito-borne disease spreading in Florida
Officials statewide are concerned about an alarming rise in cases of dengue fever or chikungunya being reported in Floridians who have traveled to the Caribbean and other foreign countries, Dinah Voyles Pulver reports for the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Qualifying for Florida elections starting
Candidates seeking statewide and local offices can officially qualify for the ballot starting at noon on Monday. Qualifying closes at noon on Friday, the Associated Press reports via the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Ann Scott hopes she can help husband get re-elected
Ann Scott is embracing another very public position as one of the chief advocates in her husband’s re-election bid.
Florida Supreme Court changes rules on informants
The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that prosecutors must disclose the names of informants testifying against defendants and whether those informants will get anything for their testimony, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.
Russia plunges into Cuban oil exploration
Russia has agreed to plunge into the search for oil in deep waters between the shores of Cuba and Florida, renewing fears of a major oil spill and the potential for environmental disaster, the Sun-Sentinel’s William Gibson reports.
Surge in unaccompanied minors across Mexican border is felt in Miami
The crisis of the thousands of unaccompanied children crossing the Mexican border is being felt across the United States, with Miami one of 10 cities where children are being sent for immigration proceedings as border shelters fill up, the Miami Herald’s Alfonso Chardy reports.
Ultimate makeover of Interstate 4 a complex financial venture
A consortium led by the international Swedish construction firm Skanska is finalizing a deal with the state for the so-called “ultimate” remake of Interstate 4 through downtown Orlando in what promises to be the largest public works project in Central Florida history, the Orlando Sentinel reports.
Seminoles expanding empire beyond gambling
The Hollywood-based Seminole Tribe is expanding its business empire into such diverse areas as cattle, seafood, beverages, wine, oil, e-cigarettes, construction and banking, Donna Gehrke-White reports for the Sun-Sentinel.
Mississippi homeowners’ group says insurance premiums exaggerated
Property insurance policies are costlier in coastal counties because hurricanes create higher losses, insurance companies and state regulators maintain, but a grassroots homeowners’ group in Alabama says the actual cost is greatly exaggerated, Anita Lee reports for the Biloxi Sun-Herald.
Connecticut’s Certificates of Insurance Bill Signed Into Law
Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy recently signed into law H.B.5248 that prohibits the inappropriate use and issuance of certificates of insurance, Insurance Journal reports.
Oklahoma insurance commissioner race focuses on rate hikes
Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak will face Bill Viner, a newcomer to Oklahoma politics, who works as an auditor for the Oklahoma Tax Commission, in the Republican primary June 24, The Oklahoman’s Brianna Bailey reports via InsuranceNewsNet.com.
Best to Endorse Selected Ratings outside EU for Regulatory Use
Rating Services Limited (AMBERS) has confirmed that it has notified the European Securities and Markets Authority that, effective immediately, AMBERS intends to endorse selected ratings issued by A.M. Best Company Inc. in the United States and by A.M. Best Asia-Pacific Limited in Hong Kong to enable such ratings to be used for regulatory purposes in the European Union, Insurance Journal reports.
Judge Allows Lawsuit Against LinkedIn Over Use of Email Addresses
A federal judge said LinkedIn Corporation must face a lawsuit by customers who claimed it violated their privacy by accessing their external email accounts, downloading their contacts’ email addresses and soliciting business from those contacts, Reuters’ Jonathan Stempel reports via Insurance Journal.
Click here to follow Colodny Fass& Webb on Twitter (@CFTLAWcom)
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please send an e-mail to Brooke Ellis at bellis@cftlaw.com.