Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report–Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Sep 30, 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
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.–Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology Acceptability Process Committee meeting. Tallahassee, Florida. Discussion of the process and timeline for development of standards and guidelines relating to projected personal lines residential flood loss. Teleconference: 888-670-3525; conference code: 7135858151. To access the meeting via Webinar, click here. To view the meeting notice, click here.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Charlie Crist Talks Insurance, Utility Rates At Pasco County Campaign Kickoff
Charlie Crist kicked off a “kitchen table tour” with a stop at a Pasco County home Monday morning to talk about insurance and utility rates as polls show the Democrat locked in a virtual dead heat with Governor Rick Scott, Tampa Bay Times’ Rich Shopes reports via the Miami Herald.
SunRail accident-prone during first 5 months
Since it started carrying passengers in May, SunRail commuter trains have collided with four vehicles and run over a man lying on the tracks, Orlando Sentinel’s Dan Tracy and Scott Powers report.
Florida companies could still fire employees for marijuana use even if Amendment 2 passes
Even if medical marijuana is legalized in Florida in November, those looking to use cannabis to treat diseases might want to seek advice not only from their doctors but also from their employers, the Bradenton Herald’s Kate Irby reports.
Judges side with defense attorneys in Florida fight over DUI device
Orlando Sentinel’s Jeff Weiner reports on a judge’s ruling on a DUI involving the Intoxilyzer 8000, a device used by Florida’s law enforcement agencies.
Florida Supreme Court gives Governor 14 days to justify suspension of acquitted Miami Lakes mayor
The Florida Supreme Court has ordered Republican Governor Rick Scott to explain why his suspension of Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi should not be revoked now that a jury has found Pizzi not guilty of federal corruption charges, the Miami Herald’s Patricia Mazzei reports via the “Naked Politics” blog. Scott has 14 days to comply with the order, which stems from a Pizzi lawsuit filed after Scott refused to reinstate him as mayor.
Invasive apple snail threatens Florida Everglades clean up
Florida wildlife and water managers are worried about an invasive snail that is wreaking havoc on the state’s billion-dollar effort to remove chemicals, Reuters’ Zachary Fagenson reports via the Chicago Tribune.
Disqualified House Candidate Laura Rivero Levey Takes Case To Florida Supreme Court
Laura Rivero Levey, the House candidate disqualified from the November ballot due to a mix-up with a qualifying check, is taking her case to the Florida Supreme Court, according the docket posted online, SaintPetersBlog.com’s Phil Ammann reports.
Florida 8th worst state for teachers, study says
Florida ranks near the bottom when it comes to opportunities for teachers, according to a new study. It was the “eighth worst state for teachers” on the list that ranked the 50 states and Washington, D.C., Orlando Sentinel’s Leslie Postal reports.
Report on Low-Income Auto Policies Draws Fire From Property and Casualty Industry
Personal lines auto insurers do not offer a basic insurance policy to safe drivers living in more than one-third of the nation’s low-income areas, the Consumer Federation of America said Monday in a new report. National Underwriter’s Arthur Postal reports for PropertyCasualty360.com.
- To read the Consumer Federation of America report, click here.
Maine Expands Online Access to Approved Insurer Filings
Maine regulators said this week they have expanded the online public access to approved insurance contract and rate filings submitted by insurance companies doing business in Maine, Insurance Journal reports.
Quake retrofit scofflaws ignore compliance at public’s peril, officials say
While some California business owners spend millions of dollars to make sure their buildings survive an earthquake, others simply scoff at city building inspectors to the public’s peril, the Contra Costa Times reports via Advisen.com.
Alabama Gas Explosion Heightens Concern Over Cast-Iron Pipe Corrosion
Cast-iron and bare steel piping is made out of metal, and therefore more likely to corrode and rust over time, causing undetected cracks and holes from which gas can leak. Gas will typically migrate to an open space – and that open space could be under a building or in someone’s basement, Kala Kachmar of the Montgomery Advertiser reports via Insurance Journal.
Milliman Opens Office in South Africa
Milliman, Inc., the Seattle-based global consulting and actuarial firm, is opening an office in Cape Town, South Africa. The office will be led by industry veteran David Kirk and will serve Sub-Saharan Africa, Insurance Journal reports.
Click here to follow Colodny Fass& Webb on Twitter (@CFTLAWcom)
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please send an e-mail to Brooke Ellis at bellis@cftlaw.com.