Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report – Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Mar 22, 2017
Florida Senate Moves to End Insurance Industry Tax Break
Insurance-Industry Officials remained adamant Tuesday that a Proposal to eliminate a decades-old Tax Credit will cost jobs and hike premiums as the measure moved forward in the Senate with a significant change. THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA reports via SayfieReview.com.
· Senate Tax Cut Proposal OK’d — With One Big Switch
· Insurers Criticize Tax Changes in Florida Bill
Litigation Fiesta for Florida Plaintiffs Bar
Unless and until their Constituents convince them to support Common-Sense Civil Justice Reforms, Florida’s Trial Lawyers and Liability-Expanding Judges will continue to earn the State its well-deserved reputation as a “Judicial Hellhole,” the American Tort Reform Association tells the Wall Street Journal.
Vacation Rentals De-Reg Bill Gets Nod Despite Pleas From Cities, Counties
The move to Strip Cities and Counties of their Authority to explicitly Regulate Vacation Rental Homes got approval yesterday. Scott Powers reports for FloridaPolitics.com.
This Bird Has Something to Say About Florida Bay — and It’s Not Good
The disappearance of Roseate Spoonbills from Florida Bay is an indicator of Accelerated Sea Level Rise. The Miami Herald’s Jenny Staletovich reports.
Expert Witness Florida Supreme Court Opinion Means Return to Former Testimony Standard
Colodny Fass Insurance Defense Lawyer Maria Elena Abate summarizes the recent Florida Supreme Court Opinion on Expert Witness Testimony standards in Bracken Engineering’s latest newsletter.
Former Deputy, State House Candidate Faces Patient Brokering Charges
Treatment Centers Reap Huge Payments From Insurance Companies for repeated and often unnecessary Testing of Patients’ Urine, Lawrence Mower and Julius Whigham II report for the Palm Beach Post.
Bold Health Care Plan Could Reshape Insurance for Floridians
A Bill passed out of its Third Senate Committee on Tuesday that would allow Patients — Private and Medicaid — to pay their Doctors directly for Care in a Subscription-Type Model. Alexandra Glorioso reports for the Ft. Myers News-Press.
Bill to Eliminate Sanctuary Cities in Florida Moves Through Another House Committee
Legislation banning sanctuary city policies moved through another Florida House committee Tuesday, Mitch Perry reports for FloridaPolitics.com.
Are Florida Voters Getting Burned on Last Year’s Solar Amendment?
A Bill moving through the Florida House to implement the August Ballot Initiative by giving Tax Breaks to Businesses that install Solar Energy Panels is under fire for doing what the Utility Industry could not do in the last Election Cycle — impose Impediments to rooftop Solar Installation. The Miami Herald’s Mary Ellen Klas reports via the Tampa Bay Times.
· Critics Say Bill to Authorize Tax Breaks is Now a Vehicle for Solar Barriers
Jeb Bush Joins Board of Boca Raton Communications-Tower Firm
The Company, which is three years old, says it’s the largest Private Owner and Manager of Telecommunications Assets in the Country. It’s looking to Bush’s expertise as the Federal Government moves to expand Infrastructure for an Integrated Communications Network for First Responders. The Miami Herald’s Patricia Mazzei reports via the “Naked Politics” blog.
Law Enforcement Officials and Creditors can rarely peer behind the Veil to see who really controls Offshore Companies, making them ripe for use in Political Corruption, Embezzlement and Corporate Bribery Schemes. The Miami Herald’s Jay Weaver and Nicholas Nehemas report.
Circuit Court Judges to Finally Get a Statewide Case Management System?
At a Presentation about Circuit Court Judicial Caseloads Tuesday, House Appropriations Committee Chair Carlos Trujillo asked why Judges have an issue with moving to a Paperless System. Mitch Perry reports for FloridaPolitics.com.
Thunderstorms Just as Costly to Insurers as Hurricanes, Study Says
Risk to U.S. Property from Thunderstorms is as High as from Hurricanes, according to New Research finding that for the Past Decade, Severe Convective Storms have been the largest Annual Aggregated Risk Peril to the U.S. Insurance Industry. Insurance Journal reports.
California May Exit Federal Flood Program, According to Reports
After learning a lesson from what could have been the largest dam disaster U.S. History, California Officials are reported to be considering withdrawing from the National Flood Insurance Program. Insurance Journal reports.
Gridlock on Anti-Lock Brakes Baffles Motorcycle Safety Advocates
After a long downward trend, U.S. Traffic Deaths are on the rise again, and a key factor is the stubbornly High Fatality Toll among some of the most exposed people on the road: Motorcyclists. FairWarning.com’s Rick Schmitt and Paul Feldman report via the FloridaBulldog.org.
Uber’s Toxic Culture of Rule Breaking, Explained
Last fall, Uber hired Jeff Jones, Target’s Former Chief Marketing Officer, to serve as President of the Company’s Core Ride-Hailing Business, with a Mandate to improve Relationships with Uber Drivers and counteract the Company’s increasingly Negative Public Image. Matthew Yglesias writes for Vox.com.
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