Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Thursday, October 20
Oct 20, 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
9:00 a.m.–Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology meeting. Continuation of discussion and consideration of adoption of 2011 Standards and Report of Activities. Teleconference: 888-808-6959; conference code: 4765251363. To view the meeting notice, click here.
(CANCELED) 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.
State Farm dumps policies into Citizen Property Insurances
State Farm, Florida’s largest private home insurer, keeps shrinking as state-backed Citizens Property Insurance keeps growing.
Bill aimed at reducing Citizens Property Insurance would bring in surplus lines insurers
The bill would allow surplus lines insurance companies to compete with private home insurers to attract customers away from the state’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp.
Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund shortfall dismays reform advocates
Should a catastrophic hurricane hit the state, the state-run reinsurance fund would not be able to borrow enough money to cover its $18.389 billion in potential obligations, according to the report released Tuesday by the fund’s financial advisor, Raymond James Financial.
New York Times: A Key West House Built by a Storm
In October 2005, when Hurricane Wilma ripped through the Florida Keys, Kathy Houtz’s 1,000-square-foot house on Key Haven, a community just east of Key West, was practically destroyed.
Acquisition of Florida’s largest medical malpractice insurance carrier finalized
The Doctors Company completes its acquisition of FPIC Insurance Group.
Business group wants workers’ compensation rate hike cut back
NFIB says that a proposed rate increase should not reflect the cost of physicians directly dispensing drugs to patients. Proposals to cap what they could charge have been hotly contested the past two years.
Insurer ordered to pay ex-Hillsborough Commissioner Kevin White’s $167,000 legal tab
Attorneys for ex-Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin White will be paid by county insurers for what it cost to unsuccessfully defend him against a 2009 sexual harassment complaint, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.
Statewide sync-up of yellow traffic lights moves in House
HB 33 is aimed at increasing intersection safety, but some House are concerned that municipalities with red light cameras could be shortening the duration of yellow lights in an effort to garner more revenue from tickets.
Florida asks federal court to speed up election law proceeding
As it prepares to hold its presidential primary on Jan. 31, Florida is now seeking an expedited ruling in a federal court proceeding in which it is seeking approval for four contested provisions of an election law passed this year.
Florida Governor Rick Scott grudgingly complies with Florida court ruling
Governor Rick Scott is grudgingly complying with a Florida Supreme Court decision.
Bill would create new process mergers of independent special districts
SB 192, sponsored by Senator Mike Bennett, creates a process that allows independent special districts to merge with adjacent districts that serve a similar purpose, and also creates a new process for districts to declare themselves inactive by a unanimous resolution of their governing boards.
Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney Gets the Backing of Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater
A day after Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam became the first state Cabinet officer to back a presidential candidate, former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts unveiled the endorsement of Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater on Wednesday.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi eases stance on mortgage reductions in lender talks
Attorney General Pam Bondi appears to have softened her stance on reducing mortgage debt for homeowners as part of the nationwide settlement agreement with banks involved in foreclosure offenses, The Palm Beach Post reports.
Florida slips in national ranking of venture-capital investments
After a brief appearance in the nation’s top 10 earlier this year, Florida has dropped further behind other large states in the amount of venture capital flowing its way, according to a quarterly survey released Wednesday.
New York Times: Rush to Drill for Natural Gas Creates Conflicts With Mortgages
As natural gas drilling has spread across the country, energy industry representatives have sat down at kitchen tables in states like Texas, Pennsylvania and New York to offer homeowners leases that give companies the right to drill on their land.
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please send an email to Brooke Ellis at bellis@cftlaw.com.