Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report – Tuesday, May 23, 2017
May 23, 2017
Florida Insurer Mt. Beacon Closes Its Doors, Policies Taken Over
Call it a sign of the challenges facing Consumers in Florida, where many big National Insurers have largely stopped writing new business and a host of new and smaller competitors have stepped into the fray. The Palm Beach Post’s Charles Elmore reports for the “Protecting Your Pocket” blog.
Federal Appeals Court Affirms Florida Couple’s Conviction in Sinkhole Scam
A Florida Couples’ Wire Fraud Conviction has been upheld, according to a Decision issued by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Claims Journal reports.
Small Sinkhole Opens Outside Donald Trump’s Florida Getaway Club
A Small Sinkhole has opened on the road just outside President Donald Trump‘s Mar-a-Lago Resort in Florida. The Associated Press reports via FloridaPolitics.com.
Hackers May Have Names of Thousands of Florida Gun Owners
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced Monday they had discovered a Data Breach of the Online Payment System that processes Payments for Applications and Permits. The Associated Press reports via the Tampa Tribune.
Rick Scott Sets Special Election Dates to Fill House Seat Being Vacated by Jose Felix Diaz
South Florida Voters will have more than one Race on their Ballot this summer. Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster reports for FloridaPolitics.com.
Justices Rejects Florida Appeal Over Death Penalty
The U.S. Supreme Court has left in place a Lower Court Ruling that said Imposing a Death Sentence in Florida requires a Unanimous Jury. The Associated Press reports via SaintPetersBlog.com.
Haitian Refugees Get Six-Month Extension, Advocate Reactions Split
Tens of Thousands of Haitian Refugees living in Florida received another Six Months to stay, news that some Political Leaders — Primarily Democrats — are hailing as a victory. Scott Powers reports for SaintPetersBlog.com.
Potential New Laws Further Curb Floridians Right to Government in the Sunshine
From temporarily Shielding the Identities of Murder Witnesses to permanently Sealing Millions of Criminal and Arrest Records, State Lawmakers did more this Spring than they have in all but one of the past 22 years to chip away at Floridians’ Constitutional Guarantees to Access Government Records and Observe Meetings of their Elected Officials. The Miami Herald’s Kristin M. Clark reports.
Eric Eisnaugle Makes House Departure Official
With his now Official Resignation — spelled out in a letter last Thursday to Speaker Richard Corcoran — Eisnaugle officially opens the way for the Florida Division of Elections and Rick Scott to set dates for Special Elections in Florida’s House District 44, covering Western Orange County. Scott Powers reports for FloridaPolitics.com.
Florida House Speaker’s Race Heads Toward June 30 Vote After Wekend Meeting
Freshman House Republicans are inching closer to picking their Leader, holding a Weekend Caucus Meeting to hear from Candidates. FloridaPolitics.com Publisher Peter Schorsch reports.
Determined to push through a list of Priority Bills this year, Senate President Joe Negron and House Speaker Richard Corcoran abandoned the difficult and often hard-to-manage job of achieving Bipartisan and Ideological Consensus on Education, Economic Development and State Worker Bills and instead employed a Rule that allowed them to attach their Policy Bills to the Budget Package using a series of Conforming Bills. The Miami Herald’s Mary Ellen Klas reports via the “Naked Politics” blog.
Ferries From Florida Not a Priority for Cuban Government
Cruises and Commercial Flights now link Tampa and Havana, but before the U.S. Government approved either for such journeys, Ferries had the nod. Paul Guzzo reports for the Tampa Bay Times.
Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Limits Insurer’s Ability to Cancel Cover as State Leads the Nation
The Louisiana Insurance Commissioner has extended an Emergency Regulation which Limits an Insurance Company’s prerogative to Cancel or Terminate Policies in the State. Allie Sanchez reports for Insurance Business.
American Law Institute’s Proposed Liability Insurance Restatement Could “Upend the Insurance Market”
A Restatement of the American Law Institute’s Proposed Liability Insurance Restatement “Violates Legislative Prerogative,” said National Conference of Insurance Legislators = CEO and Commissioner Tom Considine. Colodny Fass reports.
· Update: Insurers Sound Alarm Over Liability Law Restatement; Vote Delayed
PCI’s Snyder: Credit History Helps Assess Risk in Homeowners Insurance
Credit History can serve as an indicator of Risk of Loss for Homeowners Policyholders, and State Regulators have reviewed such Premium-Setting Factors to determine that they are not discriminatory or otherwise unfair. David Snyder of PCI told the New York Times.
Research Group Helping Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation Streamline System
The Texas Workers’ Compensation Research and Evaluation Group has released its 2017 Research Agenda, a Blueprint for its efforts to provide Critical Data for Decision-Makers in the Texas Workers’ Compensation System.
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