Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report–Monday, September 8, 2014
Sep 8, 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
1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.–Florida Citizens Property Insurance Corporation Claims Committee meeting; Teleconference: 866-361-7525; access code: 5219676193#. To view the meeting notice, click here.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Property insurance could be key in governor’s race
With Florida leading the nation in average home insurance premiums, the financial burden facing many residents could become a major campaign issue in the governor’s race this year and Democrat Charlie Crist is trying to position himself as the candidate who will provide rate relief. Zac Anderson reports for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Contract to Cheat: Florida’s construction industry rip-off, a special report
Florida employers treat many laborers as independent contractors. It’s a tactic that costs taxpayers billions of dollars each year. Yet when it comes to public projects, government regulators have done nearly nothing about it, even when the proof is easy to get. McClatchy’s Nicholas Nehamas spearheads this nationwide investigative report in the Miami Herald.
Part 2–Contract to Cheat: Regulators blew chances to bring labor scofflaws in line
- Taxpayers and workers gouged by labor-law dodge
- Why is worker misclassification a problem?
- North Carolina’s $467 million problem
- Investigation built on payroll records
- “Independent” workers raise questions in South Carolina
- Nurse, exotic dancers fight against contract worker status
- Tax cheats hit hard in Texas construction industry
- How we did it
- Workers underpaid on housing project
- California tax cheats difficult to find
- Dancers to drivers, disputes abound over who’s an employee
Despite 1-year texting ban anniversary, only 36 citations issued in Volusia, Flagler
As Florida approaches one year with a texting-while-driving law on the books, officials are seeing the legislation that was celebrated by many being enforced by few, Daytona Beach News-Journal’s Katie Kustura reports.
Insurance company claims elaborate scheme to fake Jacksonville man’s death in Venezuela
An insurance company fighting the son of a Jacksonville businessman reported dead in Venezuela told a federal judge it uncovered “an orchestrated, elaborate scheme to fake … [a] death and commit insurance fraud.” Steve Patterson reports for the Florida Times-Union.
Citrus disease battle unites growers, researchers, entrepreneurs
The current menace ravaging Florida’s citrus industry has brought together growers, researchers and entrepreneurs in hopes of limiting its effects, if not eradicating it, Ocala Star-Banner’s Richard Anguiano reports.
Brightway Insurance Opens Store in Panama City, Florida
Brightway Insurance has opened a franchise store in Panama City, Florida. The new location is owned and operated by Dale Turner, Insurance Journal reports.
Scott tops Crist in new poll by debate sponsors
Republican Governor Rick Scott is holding a narrow lead over Democratic rival Charlie Crist in a poll released Saturday by sponsors of a pair of October debates between the candidates for governor, John Kennedy reports in the “Post on Politics” blog.
Judge Backs Florida Department of Transportation in Toll System Bid Case
An administrative law judge has sided with the Florida Department of Transportation in a dispute about a contract for a customer service system for the state’s toll roads, the Lakeland Ledger reports.
Pam Bondi says opposition to gay marriage not personal vendetta
Just because Attorney General Pam Bondi has aggressively fought in court against opponents of Florida’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, don’t assume it has anything to do with her own views, Tampa Bay Times’ Adam Smith reports.
Judge rejects governor’s efforts to fight subpoena for records
A Tallahassee judge this week ordered Governor Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi to stop fighting attempts to allow Google to turn over basic information about the private email accounts used by the governor and his staff to conduct state business, the Miami Herald’s Mary Ellen Klas reports via “The Buzz” blog.
Adam Putnam announces Web-based mapping tool to fight Florida’s “food deserts”
With thousands of hungry families statewide, the state of Florida is employing the latest high-tech gadgets, including web-based mapping, in an effort to combat “food deserts” throughout the Sunshine State, Peter Schorsch reports for SaintPetersBlog.com.
At $139 million, Florida home is most expensive in U.S.
Making a grand splash on the Multiple Listing Service this week is a Hillsboro Beach, Florida, mansion that, at $139 million, is the most expensive home publicly listed for sale in the United States, Neal J. Leitereg reports for the Orlando Sentinel reports.
Add cyber liability to your auto coverage! Driverless cars face risk of hackers
While the idea of robo-cars whisking us off to our destinations may sound like science fiction, the technology exists and is largely ready for the real world. What’s harder to determine is the risk associated with the emergence of these vehicles, Bloomberg’s Alex Liautaud reports via National Underwriter’s PropertyCasualty360.com.
MetLife was designated a systemically important financial institution by the Financial Stability Oversight Council last week, National Underwriter’s Arthur Postal reports for LifeHealthPro.com.
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