Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Thursday, May 19
May 19, 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
9:30 a.m.–Florida Office of Insurance Regulation Hearing on the life insurance industry’s policies, practices and procedures; 9:30 a.m. To view the meeting notice, click here. To view the agenda, click here.
10:00 a.m.–Florida Surplus Lines Service Office National Clearinghouse Committee meeting; Agenda includes issues pertaining to the proposed national surplus lines tax clearinghouse. To view the meeting notice, click here.
Blog: New hurricane forecasts to boost insurance rates
Regulators and others said the insurance industry inflated premiums after the 2004 and 2005 hurricanes because it started using short-term data to predict hurricane risks and help calculate premiums.
Colodny, Fass Talenfeld, Karlinsky & Abate’s Katie Webb: By No Means A Wish List, Florida’s SB 408 To Address Some ‘Pocketbook Issues’
Insurers are leafing through and interpreting the massive property insurance bill signed by Governor Rick Scott.
Hancock settles with Florida on benefits
John Hancock Life Insurance Co. has reached a settlement with Florida insurance regulators resolving a dispute over the way the company handles payments for life insurance beneficiaries.
Governor Scott Addresses Hurricane Conference
Your homeowner’s Insurance rates will go up because of a bill signed into law just yesterday by Governor Rick Scott.
- Blog: Wealthy Governor Rick Scott ready for hurricane he has a second roof in storage
- Governor, emergency management chief stress storm preparation
Federal appeals court in Miami hears floating house case with national implications
Is it a boat or is it a floating residence?
In a case that could affect floating residence owners across the country, the Atlanta-based 11th District Court of Appeals in Miami heard oral arguments Wednesday surrounding the City of Riviera Beach’s 2009 confiscation of a floating residence that the city insisted was a vessel or a boat – and not a home.
Blog: State Senator Mike Fasano on homeowner’s insurance, other issues
Good morning, welcome to Radioactivity. I’m Rob Lorei. Coming up on the first part of today’s program is State Senator Mike Fasano (R-Pasco County).
Column: My insurance bill puts people first
Reform proposal is only one state will need
Next, how about an insurance bill that de-rigs the market for home and business owners and makes your interests a priority, for a change?
Editorial: Get ready for another soaking
New property insurance law won’t help consumers
The sweeping property insurance bill Governor Rick Scott signed this week not only fails to provide relief for Florida’s beleaguered ratepayers – it may make matters worse for them.
Allstate To Buy Esurance, Answer Financial For $1 Billion
Florida One of Main Premium Revenue Drivers for Esurance
Allstate Corp. agreed Wednesday to buy auto insurer Esurance and insurance agency Answer Financial from White Mountains Insurance Group Ltd. for about $1 billion to expand its online presence.
As crash costs surge, safety advocates ask if Florida will act
When federal officials announced this month that Florida ranked No. 3 in the nation when it comes to costs incurred from fatal vehicle crashes, traffic safety advocates embraced the public shaming as new ammunition in the effort to tame the state’s highways.
Viatical insurance lawyer pleads guilty in major fraud case
A prominent attorney whose fortunes rose with a Fort Lauderdale viatical Insurance company at the center of a $1.25 billion investment fraud case pleaded guilty Wednesday to a single conspiracy charge, marking a major development in the long-running prosecution of executives and others at Mutual Benefits Corp.
Costs mount in defense of Florida’s insurance chief
Legal bills continue to mount for the defense of Insurance commissioner Kevin McCarty and the state Office of Insurance Regulation.
Early voting cutback draws lawsuit in Miami-Dade
A candidate for Miami-Dade County mayor is challenging a decision to cut back on early voting.
Alvin Brown elected Jacksonville’s 1st black mayor
Democrat Wins in Heavily Republican District
A day after the polls closed, and after all the votes were finally counted, 48-year-old Alvin Brown officially became Jacksonville’s next mayor.
Today, Florida’s Governor, Attorney General and Chief Financial Officer unanimously approved an agenda item initiated by CFO Jeff Atwater to conduct an external review of the State Board of Administration’s risk management processes and financial controls.
Flagler County bed-tax lawsuit against online travel firms proceeds
Multiple lawsuits filed by more than a dozen counties against online travel companies such as Expedia and Priceline are moving forward and attorneys expect to receive documents by the end of the week that illustrate how the companies’ funds flow and taxes are collected when they sell a room to a customer.
Blog: Governor Rick Scott still going over elections bill
Governor Rick Scott told to South Florida reporters Tuesday afternoon at the annual Governor’s Hurricane Conference in Broward County that he’s still considering the elections bill.
Commission Dismisses Conflict-of-Interest Ethics Complaints Against Governor Scott
The Florida Ethics Commission has dismissed two conflict-of-interest complaints against Governor Rick Scott, both stemming from his ownership stake in Solantic, a chain of urgent care clinics that’s in the process of being sold.
In Spate of Conforming Bills, Dozens of Changes to Law
In the wake of a session that included what veterans said was an abnormally large number of conforming bills usually meant to simply bring state policy in line with the next year’s budget, interest groups and others are still sifting through what all was in them more than a week later.
Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman’s presidential campaign to set up in Orlando
Although he hasn’t officially jumped into the race, potential Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman has decided to open his national headquarters in Orlando, his advisers confirmed Wednesday.
Former Katrina Judge Senter dies at age 77
Friends and colleagues of retired U.S. District Judge L.T. Senter – who presided over numerous insurance cases that arose from Hurricane Katrina – are remembering him as a jurist who ruled fairly and with integrity.
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