Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Monday, March 14
Mar 14, 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
Florida’s 2011 Regular Legislative Session
- Click here for today’s Senate block calendar
- Click here for today’s House of Representatives block calendar
10:00 a.m.–Citizens Property Insurance Corporation Information Systems Advisory Committee meeting. Teleconference: 877-419-7892. To view the meeting notice, click here.
10:15 a.m. — Senate Committee on Community Affairs
- SB 510 relating to Hurricane Loss Mitigation Program by Senator Jack Latvala
- SB 634 relating to Citizens Property Insurance Corporation/Prohibited Activities by Senator David Simmons
- SB 638 relating to Residential Property/Evaluation Grant Program by Senator David Simmons
The National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters claims Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation does not have the authority, which it claims, to prohibit people from using an insurance adjuster.
Republicans, tea partiers, environmentalists team up against Citizens insurance
An unlikely coalition of Republican lawmakers, tea-party activists and environmentalists want to get state-owned Citizens Property Insurance out of the business of covering near-shore homes.
- Lawmaker wants state-backed insurer’s role reduced
- Amendment would prohibit Citizens Property Insurance from covering near-shore homes
- Where to Turn When Citizens Says No
Japanese tsunami not expected to affect reinsurance costs in Florida
On Friday, the insurance industry was trying to gauge the impact of the Japanese tsunami on the global reinsurance market, which provides an added layer of insurance to help insurers pay claims from major catastrophes.
Florida homeowners get insurance shock over aluminum wiring
Linda Helland is stuck in her northeast Pensacola home – unable to sell it – until she can have its electrical system rewired with copper.
Column: Hey governor! What’s the point of tax cuts if insurance rates go through the roof?
Governor Scott blasts Citizens Insurance, says it’s time for market that’s not ‘artificial’
Every time Governor Scott speaks, my shrinking wallet trembles.
Florida Supreme Court Hears State Farm Auto Insurance Appeal
After a State Farm policyholder was injured in an automobile accident and received medical treatment, his physician failed to submit the insurance claim until after the 30-day period required by a Florida statute.
No Money In Proposed Budget To Fix Florida Beaches
For decades taxpayers have been footing the bill to pump extra sand onto eroding beaches around Florida.
Letter to the Editor: Sinkhole problem festering for years
I noticed the only descriptive words used to characterize public adjusters were “unscrupulous” and “shady.”
Warranty seller unlicensed in Florida
State Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty has ordered Global Warranty Group to stop selling service warranty products.
Florida’s Brown & Brown Acquires Louisiana’s Robert Ellis & Associates
Brown & Brown of Louisiana Inc., a subsidiary of Brown & Brown Inc., has acquired substantially all of the insurance agency assets of Robert Ellis & Associates Inc. of Mandeville, Louisiana, the companies announced.
Insurance agent says he gave Ray Sansom a job as favor to Jay Odom, whom he owed money to
A Fort Walton Beach Insurance agent told prosecutors yesterday that he gave Ray Sansom a $7,000-a-month job in 2009 as a favor to developer Jay Odom.
Florida asks feds for waiver from federal health care reform law
Florida’s top insurance regulator is asking the federal government to waive tough new medical loss ratio requirements for insurance companies that sell individual policies.
Federal Appeals Court Agrees To Expedite Florida Suit Against Health Law
A federal appeals court has agreed to act swiftly in considering a Florida judge’s ruling that President Obama’s health care overhaul is unconstitutional.
New chief judge selected for 5-county circuit that includes Lee, Collier
In July, Lee Circuit Judge Jay Rosman will take over as the five-county circuit’s chief judge.
Florida is Number One for identity theft
Charlene Rambo still is haunted by the experience of being arrested twice.
Florida high-speed rail not dead yet: $2.4 billion open for bids, LaHood says
High-speed rail in Florida may not be dead yet.
Lawmakers give up on plan to put golf courses at state parks
The House and Senate sponsors of bills that would allow golf courses in state parks said Friday they were withdrawing the legislation.
This time of year, parents and students are just trying to make it through prom, Spring Break and eventually finals.
Jobs czar would head Florida economic development; critics say plan amounts to payola
Senators got their first look at a sweeping rework proposed for Florida’s economic development programs Friday — a plan to merge agencies and recruitment efforts under one person: the Commissioner of Jobs.
Local governments in Floridal improve in public records audit
A statewide test that requested information from local governments showed that most are complying with Florida’s public records law, a major improvement over past years when most did not.
Will Weatherford’s rise to next House speaker is swift
The swift political rise of Will Weatherford began with a college assignment: keep the freshmen in line.
Blog: Texas lawmaker no longer seeks to close state-run insurance consumer advocate
A Republican lawmaker from San Angelo has had a change of heart.
Federal Emergency Management Agency shifts course on flood map modeling
The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it will take a second look at the flood risk of communities without federal flood protection before it approves new flood risk maps.
Ohio drivers jarred by potholes file damage claims with state
They are the potholes that eat Ohio.
Editorial: Texas should kill its especially bad driver policy
The Texas Driver Responsibility Program, passed in 2003 as part of an omnibus legislative bill, was never good public policy.
Texas lawmakers overseeing insurance issues pocketed tens of thousands of dollars in windstorm-related fees and commissions, even as their committees were responsible for overseeing the state-run Texas Wind Insurance Association – an agency under fire for being inefficient and allegedly corrupt.
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