Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Thursday, April 4
Apr 4, 2013
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 2013 Regular Legislative Session
- Click here for today’s Senate block calendar
- Click here for today’s House of Representatives block calendar
There are no Florida insurance-related events scheduled for today.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Personal Insurance Federation of Florida: Don’t Mess With the Florida Insurance Cavalry
Bills are quietly moving at the Capitol that would change the 40 year old system designed to help Floridians needing to rebuild or repair their homes but whose insurer is bankrupt.
Move to downsize Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund halted in Senate
A proposal that could increase property insurance rates by sheering off some bulk in the state’s Hurricane Catastrophe Fund was hit by a bipartisan front in the Senate on Tuesday.
Lawmakers could raise rates for Citizens Property Insurance customers
Rocked by a series of corporate scandals – and with its CEO facing a tough confirmation hearing – Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has gone increasingly positive with its messaging in recent weeks.
Security First Insurance Offers Flood Insurance Solutions to Floridians through Wright Flood
Security First Insurance and Wright Flood have partnered to launch an integrated flood coverage software solution to better manage data and speed up quoting for agents and customers.
Blog: Chief Financial Officer Atwater Would Like To See PIP Changes Before Scrapping
State Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater wouldn’t say the Senate is being premature in starting to look into replacing the state’s no-fault auto insurance system before recent changes can take hold.
More than 300 affected by canceled Universal insurance
Due to cancellation of Medicare Advantage plans issued by Universal Health Care, 306 residents in Vance County are currently eligible for a special election period.
Medicaid Expansion Could Bring 20,000 Jobs to South Florida
South Florida would gain 20,000 health care jobs, more than any other region in the state, if Medicaid is expanded, according to a report released last week by University of Florida researchers.
The Florida Current’s Policy Note: Expert Testimony
New legislation would have Florida match most other states in how it handles scientific evidence in the courtroom.
The Florida Current’s Policy Note: Texting While Driving, Red-Light Cams
On April 3, the House Economic Affairs Committee approved HB 13 by Representative Doug Holder to ban texting while driving. Its next stop is the House floor.
The Florida Current’s Policy Note: Fracking; Oil and Gas Production
A fracking disclosure bill clears final committee stop despite continued environmental opposition.
House and Senate ready separate budget plans
The chambers advanced budget plans that both add funding for education and find money for state worker raises, but disputes over Medicaid expansion, foreclosure settlement funds and clerks of the court budgets remain.
Big issues teed up for second half of lawmaking session
Florida is safe again for Canadian snowbirds.
Our man in the Panhandle, Rick Outzen, says that political strategist Scott Miller told the Republican Club of Santa Rosa County that he’ll be running in the special election for House District 2.
Blog: Florida Democrats welcome Gwen Graham to race for Florida’s Second Congressional District
The Florida Democratic Party released the following statement about Gwen Graham’s announcement she has filed to run for Congress in Florida’s Second Congressional District.
Florida Governor Rick Scott already has raised $9.8 million for 2014 re-election
Governor Rick Scott’s poll numbers remain stubbornly low, but by another measure he looks much stronger: Raising money for his re-election campaign.
Volusia County ranked among top residential rental markets for investors
Volusia County is one of the best places in the country to buy a single-family house for the purpose of renting it out, according to a new national report.
By the numbers: 22 ways to slice Florida’s reviving job market
Trying to assess the state’s economy by simply noting that Florida now has a 7.7 percent jobless rate is like gauging the success of the Tampa Bay Rays by their low team batting average.
Boca airport sues FAA over control tower closing
The Boca Raton Airport Authority’s governing board voted unanimously Wednesday to sue the Federal Aviation Administration in a last-ditch effort to prevent the shut-off of funding for the airport’s control tower.
No criminal background checks required of Internet cafe operators
Three operators of Internet sweepstakes cafes stood before the Senate’s gaming committee last month and urged them to have mercy on their industry.
Senate to vote on alimony changes
Florida legislators appear to be on the verge of making major changes in the state’s divorce laws by doing away with permanent alimony and requiring spouses to prove why they should be paid.
Fed Approves Process for Designating Nonbanks for Stricter Oversight
The U.S. Federal Reserve said on Wednesday that it had approved a final rule to clarify the process the new U.S. risk council will follow when it begins designating nonbank financial firms for heightened oversight.
Former National Flood Insurance Program Administrator: State Farm Didn’t Commit Fraud After Katrina
A former administrator of the National Flood Insurance Program says he does not believe State Farm committed fraud while adjusting claims after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Forecaster Gray Sees Active Hurricane Season Ahead
Forecaster William Gray said he expects a very active hurricane season, but he’s not yet giving likely numbers of named storms, hurricanes and major hurricanes.
The 2012 workers’ compensation regulatory changes in California are expected to affect both the prices and utilization of medical care to injured workers by most types of providers, says a new study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute.
Texas Is No. 1 in a Grim Statistic
In recent years, attention has been drawn to the dangers and injustices faced by construction workers in Texas where business is booming and construction levels have rebounded to near pre-recession levels.
Just how dangerous is compounding
Way more dangerous than we’ve been led to believe by compounding pharmacies and their supporters.
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