Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Wednesday, January 8
Jan 8, 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
12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.–Florida House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee meeting. Agenda includes consideration of the following bills:
- HB 271 relating to Workers’ Compensation by State Representative Travis Cummings
- HB 291 relating to Warranty Associations by State Representative David Santiago
- HB 4005 relating to Fireworks by State Representative Matt Gaetz
- PCB IBS 14-01 relating to Security for Public Deposits
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.–Florida Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance meeting. Agenda includes a Workshop on legislation relating to Citizens Property Insurance Corporation and consideration of the following bill:
- SB 542 relating to Flood Insurance by Senator Jeff Brandes
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Florida Oranges Dodge Bullet, Escape Damage From Freezing Temperatures
Orange groves in Florida, the world’s biggest grower after Brazil, escaped cold weather damage overnight as frigid air set records across the Midwest, Bloomberg’s Claudia Carpenter and Elizabeth Campbell report via Insurance Journal.
Two state prosecutors say health secretary has ignored attempts to discuss concerns of administration’s healthcare law, The Guardian reports.
Lawmakers focus on mental health first aid in schools
Mental health first aid is a growing trend in public health care. The idea is to train people to recognize the symptoms of emotional distress and how to direct people to needed services. A proposal in the Legislature would make mental health first aid available in public schools, The Florida Current’s James Call reports.
State Representative Precourt could leave seat to head Orlando tolling agency
State Representative Steve Precourt could resign his seat in the Legislature after being named executive director of the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority by the agency’s board of directors Tuesday, The Florida Current’s Gray Rohrer reports.
Annual report shows steadily declining state workforce
Gov. Rick Scott, elected on a promise to shrink the size of state government while producing job growth in the private sector, has presided over a steady three-year decline in Florida’s already small, relatively low-paid state workforce, The Florida Current’s Bill Cotterell reports.
Two Democrats in the Senate Could Make Solid CFO Contenders
With Jeff Atwater seeking the presidency of Florida Atlantic University, some Democrats are already creating buzz as possible replacements to be Florida’s chief financial officer, with two young state senators offering the party a sharp contrast in politics, Jeff Henderson reports for SunshineStateNews.com.
In wake of court ruling, University of Florida will not ban guns in cars on campus
Students, faculty and other people coming onto the University of Florida can keep firearms securely locked in their cars while parking on campus, following a recent appellate court decision, the Gainesville Sun’s Jeff Schweers reports.
Judge sides with feds against environmentalists on pollution limits
A federal judge on Tuesday sided with Florida and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency on their agreement in 2013 allowing the state to set water quality standards in waterways, The Florida Current’s Bruce Ritchie reports.
Genting, Gulfstream, Horse Industry Strike Gambling Deal
An agreement between Resorts World, a division of Malaysia-based Genting Group, and Gulfstream, along with breeders and thoroughbred horse owners and trainers, involves relocating a pari-mutuel permit to the Miami bayfront property purchased by Genting in 2011 for $236 million, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA’s Dara Kam reports via SunshineStateNews.com.
Drug war: Groups fight over State pharmaceutical contract
Nearly three years after lawmakers demanded a state pharmaceutical purchasing contract be competitively bid, the contract is yet to be officially awarded while two groups fight over the contract in court, The Florida Current’s Gray Rohrer reports.
Senate Unemployment Debate Likely to Postpone Vote on Flood Premiums
A vote to delay flood-insurance rate hikes for up to four years will likely be delayed as the Senate decided to take up other issues, Arthur D. Postal reports for PropertyCasualty360.com.
Rotting Wood Product in Post-Katrina Built Homes May Spark Legal Action
Actor Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation, which has built 100 energy-efficient new homes in the Hurricane Katrina-ravaged Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans, is considering legal action against the manufacturer of an innovative glass-infused wood that was used in some of the homes’ outdoor steps and front porches, Associated Press’ Richard Thompson reports via Insurance Journal.
North Carolina Rate Bureau Stands By 25.3% Home Insurance Bid
Despite urging by the state’s insurance commissioner that they withdraw their bid, North Carolina homeowners insurers are unlikely to withdraw their request for a 25.3 percent average rate hike, Insurance Journal reports.
Milliman Releases New Claims Management Software
Milliman launched LCase, a claims management system to supplement existing software. LCase translates unstructured claim notes into actionable information, thereby reducing the amount of time workers’ compensation professionals spend manually reading claim information, Melissa Hillebrand reports for National Underwriter’s PropertyCasualty360.com.
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