Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Tuesday, July 19
Jul 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
9:00 a.m.–Florida Office of Insurance Regulation Public Rate Hearing: Castle Key Insurance Company and Castle Key Indemnity Company. To view the meeting notice, click here. To view the agenda, click here.
10:00 a.m.–Florida Workers’ Compensation Joint Underwriting Association Board of Governors meeting. To view the meeting notice, click here. To view the agenda, 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.
1:30 p.m.–Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation Proposed Rule Hearing. Amendments to Rule 69L-6.021 would adopt updated and revised construction class codes, descriptions and definitions through February 1, 2011 in the Florida exception pages of the National Council on Compensation Insurance Basic Manual and the NCCI Scopes® of Basic Manual Classifications to determine workers’ compensation insurance coverage requirements. The proposed Rule also would define when an employer is engaged in the construction industry. To view the hearing notice, click here.
Florida storm loan default rate up
Almost 15 percent of money lent after ’04 hurricanes not paid back
Thousands of business and home owners who turned to the federal government for financial help recovering from the 2004 hurricanes have failed to pay back the loans, according to data The News-Press obtained from the Small Business Administration.
Two Allstate Insurance subsidiaries are seeking rate increases of more than 30 percent each.
Editorial: Taking Citizens private is no answer
Citing the potential financial risk of all Floridians being forced to cover property losses after a major hurricane, state officials are pushing to privatize the state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp.
The $54 million Chinese drywall question
A $54 million pie awaits people whose homes were built with noxious Chinese drywall.
Blog: Federal board slaps Florida for “unacceptable response” on worker safety
Florida drew a rare rebuke Monday from the federal Chemical Safety Board, for failing to enact workplace protections for state and municipal employees, following the deaths in 2006 of two plant workers at a Daytona Beach wastewater plant.
Rising loss ratios hurt bottom line at Brown & Brown
Brown & Brown Inc. reported net income for the three months ended June 30 of $37 million, or 26 cents a share, compared with $41.2 million, or 29 cents a share, in the same period in 2010.
Blog: Hometown pharmacies fear being elbowed out in Medicaid overhaul
Independent pharmacies, concerned that Florida’s planned Medicaid overhaul could elbow them out, are forming a consumer-business coalition to keep their side in talks about the drive to put 3 million Floridians into managed care.
Florida Senate President Haridopolos abruptly quits U.S. Senate race
Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos’ star-crossed campaign for U.S. Senate ended unexpectedly Monday morning, following months of missteps and the recent departure of his two top staffers.
State agencies asked to draw up plans for a 10 percent budget cut
Governor Rick Scott and the Legislature have asked state agencies to show how they would cut 10 percent of their budgets in 2012.
U.S. transportation secretary releases federal funds for SunRail commuter train
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood turned loose almost $78 million in federal tax money to help build the much-contested SunRail commuter train during a sun-baked ceremony Monday near one of the system’s future depots.
Known Florida robo-signing names turn up on mortgage documents elsewhere
Florida names connected to last fall’s mortgage “robo-signing” scandal are turning up on documents again.
With so many red-light cameras, lawmaker wants longer yellow lights
Ever received a ticket from red-light camera after crossing through a yellow signal that seemed too short?
Florida law barring release of videos of deaths faces first test
Two weeks after a controversial state law took effect making it illegal for government agencies to make photos or recordings of a death public, the statute will face its first test: State juvenile justice administrators have a videotape that depicts the final moments of an 18-year-old who died at a West Palm Beach lockup hours after he became ill and psychotic.
Blog: Governor Scott sacks LeMieux law partner from state Supreme Court nominating commission
Robert Hackleman, a long-time law partner of Republican U.S. Senate candidate George LeMieux, was not re-appointed to the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission, Governor Rick Scott announced today.
Governor Scott picks Delray health care administrator for Florida Board of Education
Barbara Feingold, a Delray Beach health care administrator, was named Monday to the state’s Board of Education by Governor Rick Scott.
Governor Scott’s push to cut state rules kills office that did that
Governor Rick Scott for months has touted his push to grow jobs by taking a machete to thousands of government regulations that limit environmental pollution, safeguard people and police businesses.
Blog: Florida Judge Rules HIV Notification Laws Apply Only to Straight People
In 1997, the Florida Legislature passed a law that made it a felony for a person with any sexually transmitted disease, including HIV, to have sexual intercourse without informing their partner of their status beforehand.
Florida Power & Light plans to demolish Port Everglades plant
The red-striped smokestacks that tower over Port Everglades will crash to the ground in 2013, under a plan by Florida Power & Light to modernize an old, heavily polluting power plant.
Some Texas homeowners to get more money for their Ike claims
Some homeowners insured by the state’s two insurers of last resort will soon receive additional payments for their Hurricane Ike claims.
Senate Banking Committee National Flood Insurance Program Bill Forgives Debt, Reforms FEMA Role
Flood-insurance reauthorization legislation proposed by the leadership of the Senate Banking Committee would mandate a phase-out of subsidies while forgiving the program’s debt.
Head of Allstate Protection Leaves Company
Joseph P. Lacher Jr., president of Allstate Protection, is leaving effective immediately, Allstate Corp. says.
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