Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Wednesday, July 25
Jul 25, 2012
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: State Farm Florida Insurance Company (“State Farm”). State Farm has requested a 58 percent overall rate increase for its rental dwelling line of coverage. The proposed rate increase would be effective December 1, 2012 for new business and January 15, 2013 for renewal business. The requested rate increase is not uniform and some areas would be subject to a higher rate increase. To view the hearing notice, click here. To view the agenda, click here.
10:00 a.m.– Florida Board of Employee Leasing Companies Board Meeting. Teleconference: 888-808-6959; conference code: 9226020. To view the meeting notice, click here.
1:00 p.m.–Florida Surplus Lines Service Office Board of Governors Quarterly Business Meeting. St. Petersburg. To view the meeting notice, click here. To view the agenda, click here.
Florida home insurers lining up for rate hikes
Although Florida has dodged a direct hit from a hurricane for almost seven years, three major home insurers want to raise rates.
20 years after Hurricane Andrew hit Miami-Dade, track forecasting has made giant strides
If Hurricane Andrew came barreling toward Florida today, meteorologists could predict the stretch of coast most likely to get slammed with far greater accuracy and speed than 20 years ago.
Hurricane forecasters: Despite advances, Florida still vulnerable to next big one
For all the dramatic strides in technology and forecasting accuracy over the last two decades, if another storm of hurricane Andrews ferocity hit South Florida some day, the loss of life and property could well be worse.
Letter to the Editor: Public insurer has forgotten its “citizens”
It looks like Citizens Property Insurance Corp. will be commemorating the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew on August 24 in its own special way: The state-run insurer of last resort for more than 1.4 million Floridians is planning to raise its rates next year by an average of 7.5 percent.
An audit report released by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’s inspector general identified possible fraud among energy grant recipients and halted $2.5 million in payments to two companies.
Florida Appeals Ruling on Blockade of Embargo on Business Contracts with Cuba
Florida will push forward in its attempt to punish companies that do business with Castro’s Cuba and Assad’s Syria.
Congressional District 4: Ander Crenshaw a Strong Favorite to Win a Seventh Term in Congress
Looking to extend his lengthy career on the political stage, U.S. Representative Ander Crenshaw, R-Florida, is a heavy favorite to win the Republican nomination and the general election, despite facing a transformed district.
As incumbents bow out of office, two Republican candidates appear poised to win open state Senate seats in the northern half of the Sunshine State come November.
Congressional District 24: Frederica Wilson Faces a Democratic Primary Rematch Against Rudy Moise
U.S. Representative Frederica Wilson won the congressional seat representing parts of Broward and Miami-Dade counties vacated by Kendrick Meek in 2010, beating out eight other candidates in the Democratic primary — but Dr. Rudy Moise, who placed second in that primary, has more in the bank as he heads toward a rematch in August.
Senate District 26: Bill Galvano Looks to Return to Tallahassee
After an open seat in Florida Senate, former state Representative Bill Galvano looks to be smooth-sailing his way to a Tallahassee return in November.
Primary Profile: Redistricting pits Democratic incumbents against each other in House District 107
House Republicans wishing to tout their impartial redistricting process pointed to several new districts that pitted incumbents against each other.
Members of the Florida Conservation Alliance on Tuesday gave Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard Jr. petitions they said were signed by more than 15,000 people calling for more protection for Silver and Rainbow springs in Marion County.
Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance class-action awards could be at least $3,000
A total of 18,573 plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the state-run property insurance company should get at least $3,000 each when the claims are paid this year or in early 2013, lawyers for the group said Tuesday.
North Carolina Property Insurance Reform Law Comes Up Short
North Carolina’s property market problems are well known but thus far answers remain elusive even after lawmakers approved a bill that does little more than what one industry expert said, “just stuck more fingers in the dike.”
Property and casualty insurers are facing catastrophe losses that are at an historic high, which is impeding profitability and growth, but capital levels remain healthy the Financial Stability Oversight Council says in a new report.
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