Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Thursday, April 14
Apr 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
9:00 a.m–House Economic Affairs Committee
- HB 617 relating to Discriminatory Taxes/Reinsurance by State Representative Jeff Brandes
- CS/HB 803 relating to Property and Casualty Insurance by the House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee; State Representative John Wood
- HB 1087 relating to Persons Designated To Receive Insurer Notifications by State Representative Doug Holder
9:00 a.m.–House Judiciary Committee
- CS/CS/HB 479 relating to Medical Malpractice by the House Health and Human Services Access Subcommittee and Civil Justice Subcommittee; State Representative Mike Horner
10:00 a.m.–Florida Workers’ Compensation Joint Underwriting Association Investment Committee meeting. To view the meeting notice, click here. To view the agenda, click here.
1:30pm–Senate Committee on Budget
- CS/SB 1568 relating to Insurer Insolvency by the Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance; Senator Bill Montford
- CS/SB 1714 relating to Citizens Property Insurance Corporation by the Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance; Senator Alan Hays
Paige St. John: State-run Citizens continues to make a profit
Citizens Property Insurance, the target of attack by lawmakers eager to dismantle the state-run carrier, is making money.
Three ways the Florida Legislature could raise your property insurance premiums
Lawmakers in Tallahassee are seriously considering three bills that could raise your property insurance premiums.
Homeowners insurance options for sinkhole coverage shrinking
Allan Schwartz wants to make sure he’s covered if the ground collapses. He’s dealt with three Insurance companies in two years to get that peace of mind.
Senate Panel Advances Auto Insurance Bills
A pair of bills aimed at cracking down on the runaway fraud that has vexed automobile insurers in recent years moved through a key Senate panel Tuesday.
PCI’s William Stander: Personal Injury Protection fraud an epidemic
Florida ranks first in the nation in questionable auto-insurance claims, and personal-injury protection fraud has spiraled out of control.
Blog: Solantic-inspired bill passes House and Senate health committees
A bill that would require some health care providers to post their prices for frequently offered services sailed through House and Senate committees on Wednesday.
Florida is ‘ground zero’ for healthcare fraud
If Peter Budetti gets his way, the criminals who gorge on the U.S. healthcare system, bilking the government out of billions of dollars a year, will soon be on a much leaner diet.
State puts federal government on notice of its plan to take Medicaid Reform statewide
Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Liz Dudek sends letter to the federal government advising them the five county pilot project will go statewide in 90 days even though the Legislature hasn’t approved the overhaul of the $20 billion safety-net program
Florida 2012 primary date set for January 31
Florida’s presidential primary next year is set for January 31.
Stalled state budget talks may mean extended legislative session
House and Senate leaders made it official Wednesday: Budget talks have unraveled between the two sides.
Today in Tallahassee: Judiciary, seaports, septic tanks
The House is in session this afternoon and is poised to take up bills that would shake up the judiciary, seaports and septic tank restrictions.
Governor Rick Scott Pushes His Pension Reform Plan Ahead of Budget Talks
House, Senate reforms don’t cut as much; Scott gathers business support
Governor Rick Scott urged the Legislature Monday to scrap its plans for reforming Florida’s pension system for state workers in favor of his solution.
Scott moves from no litigation against BP to saying Florida is exploring options
With an April 20 deadline looming, Governor Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi slightly backtracked Wednesday on whether Florida should join a federal lawsuit against the owner of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig as other Gulf Coast states intend.”
Senate immigration measure held up so Scott can weigh in
The Florida Senate’s immigration bill, which today drew scorn from business and religious leaders, has been tabled until after lawmakers break for Easter.
Union dues deduction ban squeaks by Senate budget panel
A measure that would bar labor unions from automatically deducting dues from state employee paychecks narrowly cleared the Senate budget panel Thursday.
- Cuba, Thrasher go head-to-head in Florida union bill fight
- Public employees, officials denounce ‘paycheck protection’
- Republicans employ new tactics to push anti-union bill
Drug testing for welfare recipients on the move in Senate
A Senate committee cleared a plan this morning that would require people seeking temporary cash assistance to pay for drug tests.
Renewable energy bill on hold as opposition mounts to utility rate hikes
The state legislator sponsoring renewable energy bills says that Gov.ernor Rick Scott has raised concerns about the cost. Representative Clay Ford said he expects to remove the provision that allows utilities to recover $375 million for renewable energy projects.
Florida Senator Bogdanoff bid to revive bill called “offensive” by fellow Republican
A week ago it appeared a bill dealing with pre-trial release was dead again this session.
Florida Senator Bennett says he won’t change sweeping growth bill to placate environmentalists
Senator Mike Bennett said Tuesday he won’t amend his sweeping growth management bill in response to opposition from environmentalists because he said they haven’t asked him for changes.
Blog: ‘Destination Resorts’ in limbo after chaotic committee meeting
For a brief moment Wednesday, it looked like a bill paving the way for destination casinos in Florida was dead after a 3-3 vote in the Senate Finance and Tax Subcommittee, reports the News Service of Florida.
Blog: Pill mills and politicians — Governor Rick Scott’s day in DC
The Florida governor will meet this morning with Florida’s congressional delegation — a meeting that promises to be feisty, with a number of members taking issue with Scott’s veto of high speed rail dollars, among other issues.
U.S. Representatives Tom Rooney and Rob Andrews Team Up on Short Sales Proposal
Lenders and Realtors believe bill is a win for all parties concerned
Earlier this week, Florida Republican U.S. Representative Tom Rooney and New Jersey Democratic U.S. Representative Rob Andrews reintroduced a measure that would give lenders up to 45 days to decide whether to accept offers on short sales.
Florida Senate panel forces casino expansion plan to fold for session
An attempt by Las Vegas’ largest casino operators to bring resort-style casinos to Florida appeared all but dead Wednesday as a Senate committee killed the bill, rejecting promises that the effort could bring new jobs and revenue.
Former Florida Governor Crist Settles Music Copyright Lawsuit
Former Florida Governor Charlie Crist has settled a lawsuit filed by Talking Heads singer David Byrne after Crist used one of the group’s songs without permission in a campaign ad last year, both parties have confirmed.
Despite battered economy, Florida leads nation in potential to grow jobs
Florida leads the nation in its potential to grow jobs, according to a new Wells Fargo report that predicts a major rebound in the Sunshine State’s battered hiring climate.
Blog: The Florida man who got through to President Obama
In a nationally televised speech Wednesday, President Obama quoted from a letter a Florida man sent him. The words were eloquent and urgent.
Allstate Agrees to Reduced Rate Hike, Policy Drops in Mississippi
Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney has agreed to let Allstate Property and Casualty Co. increase homeowner insurance rates 19.4 percent in the state.
Wisconsin Governor Walker Signs Act 14; Repeals Auto Insurance Minimum Coverage Mandate
Governor Scott Walker signed Act 14 today which repeals the auto insurance minimum coverage mandate put in place by the previous administration.
R. Kevin Clinton considered for Michigan’s new insurance and banking commissioner
R. Kevin Clinton, a longtime Michigan Insurance executive, is under consideration as the state’s new insurance and banking commissioner, the governor’s office confirmed Wednesday.
The Coalition to Protect Auto No-Fault opposes Insurance industry efforts to cut off payments to hospitals, physicians and other medical providers that provide critical care to auto injury victims.
North Carolina Insurance Chief Battles Auto Rate Deregulation Bills
Auto insurers are looking to change the way rates are set in North Carolina but that’s not going to happen if Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin has his way.
Texas Approves 10 Companies to Self-Insure for Workers’ Compensation
Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation approved one initial application and nine renewals of the Certificates of Authority for companies to self-insure their workers’ compensation claims for a one-year period under the TDI-DWC Self-Insurance Program.
New York Times: Insurers Look to Potential of North Africa
The insurance industry has made only modest inroads in North Africa, and that is unlikely to change, at least in the short term, as political transformations and other uncertainties shake the region.
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