Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Thursday, May 16
May 16, 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
10:00 a.m.-Florida Workers’ Compensation Joint Underwriting Association Audit Committee teleconference meeting. To view the meeting notice, click here. To view the agenda, click here.
1:30 p.m.–Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Advisory Council meeting. Consideration of May claims-paying capacity estimates. Teleconference: (888) 670-3525; conference code: 7135858151. To view the meeting notice, click here.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Blog: Florida PIP injunction still stands
The 1st District Court of Appeal has upheld an injunction that keeps the state from imposing key parts of a 2012 personal-injury protection law, as the fight over the auto-insurance overhaul remains in the court system, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA reports in SaintPetersBlog.com.
Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund in best shape ever, numbers affirm
The state-created fund that backs up private insurers in Florida is in the best financial shape it has been in years – maybe the best since it was created in 1993, Andrea Rumbaugh and the Associated Press reports for the Ft. Myers News-Press on today’s Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Advisory Council meeting.
California Tops List
California was home to the most questionable claims, generating 58,415 over the three-year period. It was followed by Florida (29,086), Texas (27,107), New York (23,402) and Maryland (10,315), Claims Journal reports.
Florida Ranks Among State Farm’s Top Ten States for Dog Bite Claims
It’s a dog-eat-dog world, and last year 3,670 State Farm customers were wearing Milk-Bone underwear, Caterina Pontoriero reports for PropertyCasualty360.com.
Rental Car Insurance Surcharge Complaints Prompt Florida Attorney General Investigation
Hundreds of customers claim a big rental car company hit them with insurance charges they didn’t want, WFTV-TV reports.
Florida quietly shortens red light intervals, resulting in more red light camera fines
Interval Times Now Below Federal Standards
A subtle, but significant tweak to Florida’s rules regarding traffic signals has allowed local cities and counties to shorten yellow light intervals, resulting in millions of dollars in additional red light camera fines, reports Noah Pransky for WTSP-TV.
Florida to keep 2016 presidential primary in March if bill enacted
With one sentence, Florida has reshaped the 2016 presidential contest, potentially enhancing its role in determining the next American leader, writes Sarasota Herald-Tribune political reporter Jeremy Wallace.
Governor Scott approves second ethics law
Florida Governor Rick Scott signed into a law a public records exemption Wednesday that complements the broadened new ethics standards approved in the 2013 legislative session, Bill Cotterell reports for The Florida Current.
Blog: Legislative staff say supermajority Scott manufacturing tax cut vote note necessary
After Gov. Rick Scott’s highly prioritized manufacturing tax cut passed the Florida Legislature without receiving a two-thirds vote majority, legislative staff analysts have had a change of heart and now believe such a supermajority was not necessary, The Miami Herald’s Toluse Olorunnipa reports.
Florida’s commercial lease tax stays put for now
Landlords in Miami were hoping to a get break this spring from lawmakers in Tallahassee in phasing out a state sales tax on commercial leases, but they came up empty, Scott Blake reports for Miami Today.
Sarasota Republican Julio Gonzalez Seeks to Replace Term-Limited Doug Holder
With state Rep. Doug Holder, R-Venice, facing term limits next year, Dr. Julio Gonzalez, an orthopedic surgeon from Venice, is off to an impressive head start as he looks to represent parts of Sarasota County, Jeff Henderson reports for SunshineStateNews.com.
Florida TaxWatch to urge Governor vetos
Florida TaxWatch will announce a list of items today that the research and advocacy group argues could be eliminated from a proposed $74.5 billion state budget, the Associated Press reports.
Blog: Key Decisions on Education Yet Await Florida Governor
Many key education decisions await Governor Scott on whether to sign or veto them, and some have taken to lobbying the governor by email on what he should do, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA reports in SaintPetersBlog.com.
Blog: Governor Scott to keynote Broward GOP dinner May 20
Gov. Rick Scott will give the keynote address at the Broward Republican Executive Committee’s annual Lincoln Day dinner May 20 — and then he flies to Chile later that night, blogs The Miami Herald’s Amy Sherman.
Louisiana Citizens insurance legislative review requirement measure fails
The Louisiana House rejected a Houma-Thibodaux area lawmaker’s proposal Tuesday that sought legislative review of large rate increases for customers of Louisiana’s property insurer of last resort, reports the DailyComet.com.
Missouri Lawmakers Approve Disaster Fund
Missouri lawmakers have approved a bill creating a $15 million fund to repair infrastructure in areas where the president has issued a disaster declaration, the Insurance Journal reports.
Midwest Attorneys General Target Storm-Chasing Roofing Companies
The attorneys general of Illinois, Kansas and Ohio are targeting storm-chasing roofing companies in their states with legal actions, the Insurance Journal reports.
Louisiana coalition formed to fight catastrophic flood insurance rates
Catastrophic increases in flood insurance premiums, especially for property owners outside federal levees, are the focus of a new southeast Louisiana coalition of public officials lobbying Congress to oppose the the rake hikes, Jefferson Parish President John Young said Wednesday, the Times-Picayune’s Andrea Shaw reports.
AAMGA Proposes Expansion of Membership Ranks
The board of directors of the American Association of Managing General Agents announced on May 14, 2013 it has voted to expand membership to bring all wholesale insurance practitioners who meet membership requirements under a single umbrella.
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