Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Thursday, April 28
Apr 28, 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
- Daily Florida Insurance-Related Bill Action
- Daily Insurance-Related News
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/CS/SB 408 relating to Property Insurance by the Senate Committee on Rules, Budget Subcommittee on General Government Appropriations, Committee on Banking and Insurance; Senators Garrett Richter and Alan Hays
Daily Florida Insurance-Related Bill Action
- Bills Signed by the Governor: April 27
- The insurance-related bills listed below were passed during the 2011 Legislative Session and signed into law by Florida Governor Rick Scott on April 27, 2011:
- HB 4081 relating to the Repeal of Obsolete Insurance Provisions by State Representative Mike Horner
- HB 4129 relating to the Residential Property Structural Soundness Evaluation Grant Program by State Representative Steve Crisafulli
- HB 4181 relating to Prohibited Activities of Citizens Property Insurance Company by State Representative Daniel Davis
- The insurance-related bills listed below were passed during the 2011 Legislative Session and signed into law by Florida Governor Rick Scott on April 27, 2011:
Florida Property Bill SB 408 Advances Through Second Reading
Florida’s massive property bill SB 408 was taken up on the Senate floor for a second reading today, garnering yet more amendments on its way to a third and final reading. Its next appearance will entail a debate and a final vote in the full Senate.
- Property insurance bill up for final Senate vote
- Paige St. John: Bill would make it harder for insurers to hide profits
- Perk to benefit “secret” insurer added to bill at 11th hour
The state has relaxed regulation to lure private companies into the market, but many of them cover billions of dollars of property but have only a few million dollars in the bank.
Sinkhole Coverage Not Required
The Florida Senate spent most of the morning arguing over whether Insurance companies should be required to offer sink hole coverage. The debate is far from over, but if the majority of the Senate gets its way, thousands of homeowners could be forced into the insurer of last resort.
Blog: Governor Scott wants to recruit private insurers, minimize Citizens
Governor Rick Scott this morning said he doesn’t intend to abolish Citizens property insurance but does want to minimize its role.
Column: Insurance ‘Gaming’ of system hurts us all
Florida homeowners are finding it increasingly difficult to get good, affordable insurance coverage.
Mariano Spins-Off Patriot Recovery to form Contego Services Group, LLC
Steven M. Mariano, Founder & CEO of Patriot National Insurance Group, Inc., a leading provider of workers’ compensation insurance and related services, announced the spin off of all operations of Patriot National subsidiary Patriot Recovery, Inc., and the formation of Contego Services Group, LLC. Contego, which will assume all of Patriot Recovery’s subrogation and special investigations operations, will also provide a wide range of services, including loss control, recovery, private investigation, training, and claims management to other insurance companies, third-party administrators, and self-insured clients.
Brown & Brown CEO: Growing through acquisitions
Brown & Brown Inc.’s overall revenues and profits grew last year because of acquisitions, but its ongoing business operations need to improve, the company’s chief executive officer acknowledged Wednesday.
U.S. judge blasts state on Everglades restoration; says ‘situation sliding backwards’
The federal judge presiding over a contentious Everglades restoration lawsuit took a swipe at Governor Rick Scott’s water quality policy Tuesday and announced his intention to strip to Florida environmental regulators of their role in enforcing the Clean Water Act and return those powers to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Business property-tax break could be on presidential primary ballot
The Florida Senate is advancing legislation that calls for a special election coinciding with the 2012 Florida presidential primary to give a dramatic property-tax benefit to commercial properties and snowbirds.
Blog: Miami Republican no longer in charge of Senate immigration bill
Senator Anitere Flores is no longer in charge of a thorny immigration bill, a possible sign that Senate leaders intend to move forward with a more hard-line proposal than the Miami Republican had been willing to accept.
Blog: The day in immigration: caps, gowns, angry words and a sit-in
Continuing a weeklong effort to protest SB 2040 and HB 7089, immigration advocates crowded the state Capitol rotunda Wednesday.
Blog: Former Supreme Court justice lobbying Senators to reject court overhaul
Former Florida Supreme Court Justice Raoul Cantero is in Tallahassee today to persuade Republican Senators to reject a House proposal to expand and split the Supreme Court into criminal and civil divisions, and cut the Florida Bar out of the judicial nominating process.
Blog: Scott makes personal pitch to senators to boost union dues bill
Governor Rick Scott paid a rare, personal visit to the offices of four Republican senators Wednesday in a last-minute attempt to rescue an anti-union bill that appeared destined for defeat.
House and Senate unwilling to compromise on unemployment compensation
While the Senate looks to pass its own version of unemployment compensation, the sponsors of the rival bills are unwilling to compromise on a key issue.
Lawmakers drop expressway authority takeover
While the House and Senate battle over the state budget, another standstill has developed over which chamber has a better proposal for unemployment compensation changes.
State names replacement for nursing home ombudsman
Officials have appointed 27-year civil servant Jim Crochet to run the state’s troubled nursing home ombudsman program. He is a man praised by some for a “wealth of experience” and criticized by others as an industry lapdog.
House passes measure to do away with ban on public money for religious groups
A long-standing ban on public funding of religious organizations could be repealed under a measure approved Wednesday afternoon in the Florida House.
Blog: Three-day sales tax holiday looks like a deal
House and Senate budget negotiators were near agreement late Wednesday on enacting a three-day, back-to-school sales tax holiday next summer.
Blog: Scott Randolph threatens Representative Campbell, trashes her pen after abortion comments
Democratic Rep. Scott Randolph was so upset with colleague Daphne Campbell for backing a GOP abortion bill that he told her he’d get an opponent to unseat her in two years.
Two insurers agree to pay $8 million to settle Chinese drywall suit
Insurers for a Chinese drywall supplier involved in federal multidistrict litigation in New Orleans have agreed to pay up to $8 million to settle litigation against the company over damage to homes.
California Bill Proposes Consolidating Insurance Disclosure Notices
California legislators are considering whether to allow certain insurance policies and disclosures to be consolidated into one document, printed in smaller type.
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