Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Monday, May 2
May 2, 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
9:00 a.m.–Senate Session
- CS/CS/HB 99 relating to Commercial Insurance Rates by the House Committee on Economic Affairs, Subcommittee on Insurance and Banking; State Representative Brad Drake
- CS/CS/SB 1252 relating to Persons Designated to Receive Insurer Notification by Senate Committee on Rules; Senate Committee on Budget; Senator Chris Smith
- CS/CS/SB 1568 relating to Insurer Insolvency by the Senate Committee on Budget; Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance; Senator Bill Montford
- CS/SB 1590 relating to Medical Malpractice Actions by the Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance; Senator Alan Hays
11:00 a.m.–House Session
- CS/CS/CS/CS/HB 479 relating to Medical Malpractice by the House Committees on Judiciary and Health Care Appropriations; Subcommittees on Health and Human Services Access and Civil Justice; State Representative Mike Horner
- CS/CS/HB 1227 relating to Surplus Lines by the House Finance and Tax Committee; House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee; State Representative Bill Hager
- CS/HB 723 relating to State Reciprocity in Workers’ Compensation by the House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee; State Representative Mike Weinstein
In a move that drew howls of protest from opponents, House and Senate budget negotiators agreed to put in an unrelated budget bill a prohibition for attorney fee multipliers in no fault personal injury protection cases.
Prescription limit for workers’ compensation bumped to budget chiefs along with trust fund sweeps
House and Senate negotiators were unable to agree Friday on several key items including a proposal to limit reimbursements for workers’ compensation prescriptions and sweeps from environmental trust funds.
Blog: Trekking to Tallahassee, with anti-insurance hike petitions in tow
Irina and Carmen Vilarino make an unlikely pair of political activists. The sisters help run their family business — 18 restaurants in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties — and have never been to the state Capitol to talk to lawmakers about anything.
Legislative roundup: House’s closest vote yet occurs over fire alarm bill
The closest vote in the Florida House so far this year wasn’t on abortion, guns, illegal immigration or taxes. It was on fire alarms.
Editorial: Captive bill offers good way to manage risk
If lawmakers want to help Florida businesses manage risk at no cost to the state and other policyholders, they could do no better than to approve a pending measure easing the way for companies to form their own insurance subsidiaries to finance potential losses.
Editorial: Good faith law a set-up for insurers?
In discussing the Florida Legislature’s activities regarding insurance and bad faith liability, Lynne McChristian, the Insurance Information Institute’s Florida representative, noted that the state’s law requiring insurers to settle claims fairly – in good faith – inadvertently fosters an uneven playing field.
Residents suggest property insurance changes
West Pasco residents largely are sitting on the sidelines in the debate over property Insurance changes.
Citizens Property Insurance: Governor Scott’s Careless Plan
Citizens Property Insurance was created by the state government in response to a crisis.
Editorial: Rising windstorm rates can cripple economy
Here we go again with yet another crisis in windstorm Insurance that, if not derailed, likely will make homes and small businesses unaffordable in Monroe County and many other coastal communities. This is truly a devastating threat to Monroe County’s economy.
Editorial: Homeowners, state lose in insurance game
The effects on South Florida housing from increases in Insurance premiums will be residents who cannot afford their insurance costs fleeing the state. Elderly residents without mortgages may forego insurance and hope they are not hit by damages.
Bill would lift rules for insurers, add them for policyholders
A sweeping bill that would allow insurers to drop full sinkhole coverage and shorten the time policyholders have to file claims cleared the Senate by a 25 to 12 margin Thursday.
Editorial: Government needs new way to pay for disasters
As sure as tornadoes erupt and waters rise, there’s another certainty for this disaster-plagued spring of 2011: it’s going to cost the U.S. government a lot of money, likely much more than Congress has budgeted so far.
Florida Senator Alexander: Citizens is far from ‘strong’
An April 14 Herald-Tribune article by Paige St. John suggested that state legislators are exaggerating the financial risk posed by Citizens Property Insurance Corp. and that Citizens is “the strongest and most profitable” insurer in our state.
“Letter to the Editor”: Tax advantage for insurers
Rigging the laws in this manner is obviously an unethical ploy to give Insurance companies tax advantages that other companies and average citizens don’t receive.
Paige St. John: Citizens amendment allows coverage for more homes
Fewer homeowners would lose their Citizens Property Insurance policy coverage under an amendment added Friday to legislation aimed at phasing out the state’s largest insurance carrier.
More could stay on Citizens with amendment to a bill
Fewer homeowners would lose their Citizens Property Insurance policy coverage under an amendment added Friday to legislation aimed at phasing out the state’s largest insurance carrier.
Editorial: Thoughts on big money, tall signs, big insurers
What are the odds that the state of Florida coughs up $100 million in economic development incentives for one project during these times of falling revenues? About as good as a walk-off home run to win a tight baseball game, we figure.
“Letter to the Editor”: Plan leaves seniors at mercy of insurance companies
Plan puts seniors at mercy of Insurance companies
Howard Troxler’s column seems to be based on some false premises. The first is that the TV ad he saw is the only response the Democrats have made to Ryan’s proposal.
Tort bill would shield doctors from lawsuits
Brushing aside Democratic objections Friday, the Florida House moved forward on two bills that would help shield doctors, hospitals and nursing homes from costly lawsuits.
Florida jury: Man gets death penalty for insurance agency fire murders
A central Florida man has been sentenced to death for the murders of two women he doused with gasoline and set on fire during a robbery.
Column: Stop the bondsmen’s relief act
The Bail Bondsmen’s Support and Relief Act is moving – faster than a fleeing felon – toward approval in the Florida Legislature.
Experts: Injury suits more about settling
Student’s lost case against B-CU almost cost him plenty
A man sued Bethune-Cookman University over a fall during a run across campus that resulted in a broken hip.
Florida bill opposes federal health care overhaul
The Associated Press The Republican-controlled state House has passed a bill that would prohibit Floridians from being required to purchase health Insurance.
Blog: Florida politicians welcome Osama Bin Laden’s death
Florida politicians exhulted in President Barack Obama’s announcement tonight that 911 mastermind Osama Bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces today in Pakistan.
Blog: Senate President Haridopolos says Scott’s corporate tax cut is dead
Governor Rick Scott continues to emphasize the need for a cut in the state’s 5.5 percent corporate income tax — as he did on Fox & Friends Sunday morning.
Blog: Budget negotiators secretly wedge union dues ban into budget deal
n yet another example of legislative leaders using their budget document to adopt legislation they can’t pass on the floor, budget negotiators tonight have agreed to include a provision in the budget that paves the way for a ban on union dues for several state worker unions.
Florida budget negotiators scale back revamp of state and city pensions
House and Senate negotiators appear to be scaling back plans to dramatically revamp Florida pensions at the state and city levels
Florida lawmakers face a busy final week
From immigration to an expanded Florida Supreme Court, Florida lawmakers are facing a dozen or more major policy decisions as they wrap up their annual session by Friday’s deadline.
Federal official says Everglades restoration will continue despite state budget slashes
Despite dire warnings from environmentalists that Everglades restoration is doomed if drastic cuts to the state budget are approved, federal agencies say they have the money to keep the programs going and are ready to step up and fulfill their commitment to share the costs.
Senator Rubio says he won’t be on GOP ticket in 2012
First-term GOP Sen. Marco Rubio says he won’t be on the Republican presidential ticket in 2012.
Process begins to oust Ausman from Democratic State Committee
Democratic National Committeeman Jon Ausman, a fiercely combative campaign strategist known for partisan infighting, could lose the power base he has built over more than 40 years because of charges that he violated “an unwritten code of political ethics” by taking sides among Democrats in last year’s races.
First National Bank of Central Florida closed
First National Bank of Central Florida was acquired April 29 by Premier American Bank NA after being closed by the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., appointed as receiver.
TD Bank aims for continued expansion as it converts Mercantile branches in Florida
Kevin Gillen practically dares people to call TD Bank’s toll-free customer call center any day, any time.
Central Florida Hispanic population gaining
Rubio. Martinez. Alvarez. Diaz-Balart. Cruz. Gonzalez. The list of prominent Florida politicians with Spanish surnames is growing, a reflection of the state’s expanding Hispanic population.
National Flood Insurance Program Amendment Would Impact Policies Serviced By State Farm Agents
A showdown over the future role of State Farm captive agents in servicing flood-insurance policies is shaping up in Congress.
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please send an e-mail to bellis@cftlaw.com.