Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Thursday, January 28, 2016
Jan 28, 2016
Washington gets blizzard assist from Florida
Governor Rick Scott is taking on a different kind of gridlock in Washington, and he’s hoping to lure beltway tourists to Florida in the process. Jeff Burlew reports for the Tallahassee Democrat.
Florida House okays “Uber bill” blocking local rideshare bans
For the second year in a row, the Florida House wants to stop local governments from blocking or regulating companies like Uber and Lyft. The Tampa Bay Times’ Michael Auslen reports via “The Buzz” blog.
Black Drivers in Florida Face Far Stricter Seatbelt Enforcement, Report Says
Black drivers in Florida were stopped and given tickets for not wearing seatbelts nearly twice as often as whites who drove on the state’s roads in 2014, according to a report by the American Civil Liberties Union released Wednesday. The New York Times’ Lizette Alvarez reports.
Watercraft bill stemming from Tequesta tragedy likely to fail
An effort to increase to 16 the minimum age for operating personal watercraft, such as Jet Skis, in Florida looks sunk for this Session. The Palm Beach Post’s John Kennedy reports.
Fix or flaw? Amendment was to exempt day cares from booster seat law
Confusion peaked in this week as an amendment exempting child care facilities from Florida’s booster seat law began winding its way through Tallahassee, only to be withdrawn after The Palm Beach Post began making inquiries.
Elevator safety bill triggered by Bradenton boy’s death advances
A bill moving in the Florida Legislature would mandate that new residential elevators have a sensor that would cause them to stop moving if an object is in the shaft. The Sarasota Herald Tribune’s Zac Anderson reports for the “HT Politics” blog.
Despite some Republican dissent, Florida House easily passes fracking bill
Seven House Republicans joined 38 Democrats Wednesday in voting against an oil and gas fracking bill, but the measure easily passed with overwhelming GOP support. Politico Florida reports.
Florida legislators promise to keep death penalty, fix law
Saying it’s time to put the “death penalty” debate to rest, the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature began taking its first steps Wednesday to find a way to preserve executions in the state. The Associated Press’ Gary Fineout reports via the Tampa Tribune.
Report: More than 1 in 5 Tampa Bay homeowners are still “seriously underwater”
Almost 170,000 Tampa Bay homeowners are still “seriously” underwater on their mortgages even as rising home values are making others “equity rich.” The Tampa Bay Times’ Susan Taylor Martin reports.
Class Action Follows California Commissioner’s Decision in Applied Dispute
A decision from the California Department of Insurance has workers’ compensation carrier Applied Underwriters and one of its companies on the defensive, and now a class action suit has been filed seeking to recover premiums paid by insureds to one of its large programs, Insurance Journal reports.
No Contest Plea from “Dancing Hamster” in California Fraud Case
A man who played a dancing hamster in car commercials and was a backup dancer for Madonna, has pleaded no contest to single counts of insurance fraud and making a false statement, Insurance Journal reports.
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