Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report–Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Oct 21, 2014
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
2:00 p.m.–Florida Surplus Lines Service Office Budget Committee meeting. To view the meeting notice, click here.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Homeowners’ premiums rise less after claims in Florida
While Floridians get a break on rates rising after filing a first claim, they still pay among the nation’s highest homeowners insurance premiums, the Sun-Sentinel’s Donna Gehrke-White reports.
Editorial: Florida’s sinkhole law needs reforming, again
Florida’s sinkhole law was supposed to cut down on frivolous claims and provide reasonable relief for an insurance industry crippled by fraud and abuse. But the legislation also unfairly treats property owners with legitimate claims and allows insurers to set unreasonably high rates for sinkhole policies and unaffordable deductibles. The Tampa Bay Times’ Editorial Board explains its position.
Progressive adds boat insurance coverage in Florida
Progressive Insurance is adding a new lineup of boat insurance coverage options in Florida, TradeOnlyToday.com reports.
Uber, Lyft may have to raise prices to operate in Orlando
Uber, Lyft and other high-tech “ride-sharing” companies are closer to gaining the legal right to operate in Orlando – but only if they agree to be more expensive than the traditional taxi companies they’re competing against. Orlando Sentinel’s Mark Schlueb reports.
Scott Orders Florida National Guard to Form Ebola Rapid Response Teams
Governor Rick Scott has asked the National Guard to train two 16-person rapid response teams to respond to any case of Ebola in Florida, Kimeko McCoy reports for the Florida Times-Union.
Final debate tonight for Scott, Crist
Thirteen days before Florida voters head to the polls to select a new governor, CNN and WJXT-TV in Florida will partner to host a nationally-televised debate between gubernatorial candidates Charlie Crist and incumbent Gov. Rick Scott, WTSP-TV reports.
Clean energy group delivers 92,000 petitions to Governor Scott
A group of clean energy advocates continued the drumbeat against Gov. Rick Scott’s on Monday and delivered more than 92,000 signatures urging him to develop a strong plan for Florida to meet the requirements of the EPA’s Clean Power plan, the Miami Herald’s Mary Ellen Klas reports via the “Naked Politics” blog.
Florida population surging again
People from other countries and other states are pouring into Florida again, a sign of the state’s recovery from a long period of economic doldrums and slow growth, Orlando Sentinel’s William Gibson reports.
FSU approves hefty contract for new president John Thrasher
Powerful politician John Thrasher is going to get paid $430,000 a year as the new president of Florida State University, the Associated Press reports via SaintPetersBlog.com.
Delaware Regulator Says Federal Overseers Should Keep Hands Off MetLife
Delaware’s state insurance regulator is urging top U.S. financial regulators to avoid subjecting MetLife Inc. to additional regulation, Wall Street Journal’s Virginia McGrane
Marsh to Acquire Flood Insurance Technology Firm Torrent
Insurance broker Marsh has agreed to acquire Torrent Technologies Inc., which serves Write Your Own insurers participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, Insurance Journal reports.
Feds Want Louisiana Road Home Money Back
The federal government wants names of nearly 18,000 homeowners who never raised their homes after getting the Road Home elevation grants, Associated Press reports via Insurance Journal.
Low-cost homeowners insurance in coastal Alabama comes with risks, but are consumers fully aware?
For homeowners insurance — like many things — the old adage holds true: Cheaper is not always better. Alabama Press-Register’s Michael Finch II reports.
Insurance Institute For Business and Home Safety Urges New York to Adopt 2015 Model Building Codes
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety said it is commending the New York Code Council for starting the process to adopt the 2015 edition of the International Code Council model building codes, known as the I-Codes.
Extricating Injured Passenger From a Crashed Auto Constitutes Use of That Auto
The word “use” in an automobile liability insurance policy is generally given a broad, general and comprehensive meaning that results in broad coverage, ClaimsJournal.com explains.
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