Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Wednesday, May 23
May 23, 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
There are no insurance-related events scheduled for today.
Citizens Property Insurance Corporation to reexamine wind mitigation policies
Following up on calls to raise premiums to match risk, Florida’s state-backed property insurer is taking a second look at wind mitigation incentives put in place a decade ago.
Latest blow on windstorm coverage: Short-term rentals
Possible damage to the vacation-rental and construction industries was front and center during a meeting of Middle Keys real estate agents in Marathon Monday.
Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office: Fake insurance adjuster arrested on fraud charge
A suburban Boynton Beach man was arrested Tuesday on charges that he fraudulently represented himself as an insurance claims adjuster, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said.
Disaster aid bill beneficial to Florida
In declaring May, National Building Safety Month, President Obama has provided some much-needed momentum to bipartisan legislation pending in Congress that would incentivize states to adopt and enforce model building codes as a disaster mitigation strategy.
VISTA members BRACE for hurricane season 2012
Hurricane season runs June 1-November 30, and for those on the Gulf Coast, this means it’s time to start preparing for what could be a very stressful time of the year.
Tenet wants to triple subsidy for trauma care; HCA offers to do it for free
St. Mary’s and Delray medical centers are asking the Palm Beach County Health Care District to triple to $16 million the amount of taxpayer support they receive to run the county’s trauma programs, even as rival HCA says it is prepared to launch a trauma program at JFK Medical Center in Atlantis with no public subsidy.
Florida rejects advice to scrap routine prostate-specific antigen tests
Leading urologists in Florida say they’re disappointed with a government panel’s advice against routine prostate-cancer screening.
Florida Medical Association, nurses in legal battle over sedation
The Florida Medical Association and two other doctors’ groups are in a legal fight with the state Board of Nursing about whether nurses should be able to sedate some patients.
Blog: Florida grabs a ($33.4 million) chunk of foreclosure settlement money for state budget
Out of $334 million in cash payments sent to Florida in a multi-billion dollar mortgage settlement with major banks, about $33.4 million will go to help bolster the state’s budget.
Florida purges 7,000 felons from voting rolls
As Florida scours its voter rolls in search of non-U.S. citizens, another form of purging continues: Stripping convicted felons of the ability to vote, including high numbers of Democrats and African-Americans.
Three Florida Justices Lose Retention Vote in Hillsborough County Straw Poll
The three Florida Supreme Court justices seeking to hold onto their seats hit a bump in the road in Hillsborough County last weekend.
Florida Ethics Commission begins annual check of officials’ finances
From Governor Rick Scott to members of obscure local boards, thousands of elected officers and appointed government managers across Florida are receiving their annual financial-disclosure reporting forms.
Blog: Future House Speaker Dorworth draws local GOP official in primary contest
Future House Speaker Chris Dorworth is facing a primary run-off against John Moffitt, the treasurer of the Republican Party of Seminole County.
In their quest to regain relevance in the Florida legislature, Democrats are zeroing in on a newly drawn Palm Beach-Broward Senate district where a pair of incumbent Senators — Republican Ellyn Bogdanoff and Democrat Maria Sachs — appear headed for an expensive clash.
Florida Colleges, universities asked to hold back some funding for construction projects
Florida colleges, universities and other institutions are being asked to hold back a portion of their money for construction projects to avoid a deficit in the trust fund that helps finance them.
Hialeah case could be beginning, not end of slots battles
A recent court case was thought to clarify the state’s slot machine laws, but differing interpretations from state officials and pari-mutuel owners could lead to more lawsuits, not less.
Washington Post: Catching up with former Congresswoman Katherine Harris
For someone who enjoyed the spotlight as much as former congresswoman Katherine Harris seemed to, she’s been remarkably low-key of late – that is, if you don’t count that palatial waterfront mansion she’s constructing in Florida.
Clock Ticking on National Flood Insurance Program as Senate Introduces 5-Year Extension
Senator David Vitter, R.-Louisiana, today introduced a five-year National Flood Insurance Program extension in the form of an amendment to bipartisan drug legislation.
Consumer Advocates Say Force-Placed Insurance Needs Regulation
The lack of competition and exorbitant rate charges point to a need for strong regulation of force-placed insurance programs, say consumer advocates in New York.
False Damage Claims Lead to Jail Time for Texas Couple
A North Texas couple have been sentenced to prison for their part in a conspiracy to defraud the city of Garland, Texas, of nearly $2 million by filing fraudulent damage claims against the municipality.
A World Without Personal Auto Insurance?
Can you imagine a world where there are no traffic accidents? What would such a world mean to the hundreds of personal lines insurance carriers that offer personal auto coverage?
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