Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Thursday, April 19
Apr 19, 2012
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
(CANCELED) 10:00 a.m.–Florida Surplus Lines Service Office National Clearinghouse Committee meeting. To view the meeting notice, click here.
(CANCELED) 1:00 p.m.–Florida Office of Insurance Regulation Public Rate Hearing: Cypress Property and Casualty Company.
Last summer, county commissioners adopted a tough new sinkhole ordinance designed to better track claims and protect prospective homeowners.
Letter to the Editor: Homeowners insurance costs are out of control
Homeowners insurance costs are out of control. My renewal rates increased 200 percent to 400 percent, with my deductible going from $500 to $2,500.
State Senator Nan Rich running for governor in 2014
State Senator Nan Rich said she made up her mind months ago to run for governor, but it wasn’t until a short video was posted on YouTube that people really took notice.
Veto pen blots out funding for 6 South Florida road projects, expressway authorities
Governor Rick Scott’s line item vetoes took about $1.4 million for six road projects in Broward and Miami-Dade counties and $5 million for infrastructure improvement in Miami.
Governor Rick Scott: Expect ‘Stand Your Ground’ Task Force within Two Weeks
The task force being formed by Governor Rick Scott in reaction to the Trayvon Martin-George Zimmerman shooting in Sanford will be announced within two weeks, the governor said Wednesday.
Florida justices to consider court rule changes
The Florida Supreme Court will consider changes in new court governance rules that have drawn a firestorm of opposition from judges and lawyers.
Feds sue to shutdown five South Florida tax preparers
Federal officials filed a lawsuit to shut down five South Florida tax return preparers, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.
Florida bankers object to disclosing identities of foreign depositors
Over the objections of Florida lawmakers, the U.S. Treasury Department has issued a new rule that will force banks to disclose the identity of foreigners who deposit their money in America.
State didn’t save with welfare drug testing
Required drug tests for people seeking welfare benefits ended up costing taxpayers more than it saved and failed to curb the number of prospective applicants, data used against the state in an ongoing legal battle shows.
Florida counties challenge costs of juvenile detention
An administrative law judge Monday will hear arguments in part of a wide-ranging dispute about whether the state is forcing counties to pick up too much of the cost of juvenile detention.
Florida Democratic strategist Steve Schale sounds pretty comfortable with the idea of Charlie Crist as the Democratic nominee for governor in 2014.
Authorities call for tougher campaign finance laws following Congressman David Rivera probe
Miami-Dade prosecutors on Wednesday formally closed their investigation of Congressman David Rivera without filing criminal charges, and called on state lawmakers to stiffen the campaign-finance laws that they say frustrated their 18-month investigation
Florida Department of Revenue Employee Quits After Loan-Sharking Arrest
A Florida Department of Revenue tax specialist pleaded not-guilty to loan-sharking charges Wednesday, nearly two weeks after quitting his job.
Judge authorizes seizure of Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance money
Jefferson Parish Judge Henry Sullivan signed a judgment Wednesday ordering Regions bank to deduct $104.6 million from Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp.’s account to satisfy a lawsuit decision that found that Citizens started late on adjusting policyholders’ claims after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Louisiana insurer asks for Supreme Court appeal on claims
Louisiana’s property insurer of last resort has asked the nation’s highest court to hear an appeal of a $104.6 million award to 18,500 policyholders who sued over slow adjustment of hurricane claims in 2005.
Connecticut Bill Regarding Hurricane Deductibles Passes House Unanimously
If a hurricane is downgraded to a tropical storm before it hits Connecticut, property-casualty insurers could not apply higher, so-called “hurricane deductibles” under a new bill that unanimously passed the state House Wednesday.
FEMA Bans Insurance Rebating on NFIP Policies
Insurance agents selling flood-insurance policies will no longer be allowed to cede a portion of their commissions to property owners to induce them to purchase insurance, a practice known as insurance rebating.
States fight back on shady ‘storm chaser’ contractors
In the aftermath of a violent storm, homeowners anxious to get repair work underway can be vulnerable to aggressive contractors who knock on their doors offering quick, costly deals, insurance executives and legislators say.
RIMS Seeks to Grow Political Influence; Discusses Initiatives
Whether it is at a local chapter meeting or in the Halls of Congress, the Risk and Insurance Management Society is setting an ambitious goal to increase its influence over issues that affect the world of risk, says the association’s president.
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