Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Wednesday, November 13
Nov 13, 2013
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 Workers’ Compensation Joint Underwriting Association (“FWCJUA”) Audit Committee meeting. To view the meeting notice, click here. To view the agenda, click here.
10:00 a.m.–FWCJUA Investment Committee meeting. To view the meeting notice, click here. To view the agenda, click here.
11:00 a.m.–Florida Board of Employee Leasing Companies Board meeting. St. Augustine, Florida. To view the meeting notice, click here. To view the agenda, click here.
2:00 p.m.–Florida Department of Revenue Proposed Rule Hearing. Proposed amendments to Rule Chapter 12B-8, F.A.C. – Insurance Premium Tax (Rules 12B-8.0016, and 12B-8.003, F.A.C.) would reflect 2013 law changes, updated forms and removal of obsolete provisions. To view the hearing notice, click here.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Wall Street Journal: As Premiums Rise, Homeowners Drop Wind Coverage
A small but growing number of homeowners are taking an extreme approach to insurance against hurricane winds: They’re going “bare” — doing without the coverage entirely, Liam Pleven reports for the Wall Street Journal.
Florida backs Mississippi lawsuit over flood insurance
Florida endorsed a Mississippi federal lawsuit Tuesday, challenging the Federal Emergency Management Administration’s decision to raise rates in the National Flood Insurance Program, The Florida Current’s Bill Cotterell reports.
Another insurance hit on the Keys?
A last-minute provision added to a controversial 2012 state Senate bill could have wide-ranging unintended consequences for a large number of Florida Keys property owners beginning July 1, county officials have discovered, Ryan McCarthy reports for The KeyNoter.
Tampa Residents Suspicious of Sinkhole Pumping Plan
A plan to pump up to 2 million gallons a day of water from a sinkhole in north Tampa is being met with opposition from neighbors who worry it will harm their water supply and increase the risk of sinkholes, Jose Patino Girona reports for Tampa Tribune.
Can insurers be the key to flood fight?
With no relief in sight from sharply rising federal flood insurance rates, state lawmakers are turning to the private market, hoping to entice insurers to offer coverage, Lloyd Dunkelberger writes for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Allstate’s Esurance Bundled Auto, Home Coverages Won’t Initially Be Sold in Florida
Esurance, the online car insurance seller owned by Allstate Corp., is betting that bundling auto and home policies will help it compete with Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s Geico unit and Progressive Corp., Bloomberg reports via Insurance Journal.
Opinion: Could property insurance be the winning issue for Crist?
Could Charlie Crist return to the Governor’s Mansion by running mostly on just one issue? Maybe, if the issue is property insurance, writes Randy Schultz for the Sun-Herald.
Letter to the Editor: Commission can’t promise lower home insurance rates
It was revealed that State Farm has decided that it is smarter for them to use their own actual loss experience, rather than to rely solely on the ISO guide, to determine ratings for homeowners shopping for insurance, a St. Augustine resident writes.
ProtectingAmerica.org: The Truth About Florida Reinsurance
The good news for Florida this hurricane season extends beyond the quiet storm activity. According to an October Miami Herald article, financial consultants suggest that the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF) is as strong as ever with $10 billion in cash on-hand, ProtectingAmerica.org Executive Director Bradley Brewster writes in National Underwriter’s PropertyCasualty360.com.
Florida to offer mortgage assistance for elderly homeowners
The Florida Housing Finance Corporation, in cooperation with Florida Department of Elder Affairs, Fannie Mae and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, launched the Elderly Mortgage Assistance Program yesterday, WINK-TV reports.
Many Florida cities fail to follow Red Light Camera crash data reporting law
SaintPetersBlog.com notes that running a red light can be expensive in Florida, with a quick $158 fine – but the law is not held to a consistent standard throughout the state, according to Noah Pransky on WTSP.com/10 News Investigates.
Jeb Bush endorses Rick Scott for re-election
Former Gov. Jeb Bush endorsed Gov. Rick Scott for re-election Tuesday, saying Scott has kept his 2010 campaign promise to improve Florida’s business climate and bring hundreds of thousands of new jobs to the state, The Florida Current’s Bill Cotterell reports.
- Blog: Jeb’s complex history with Rick Scott
- Blog: Why Jeb Bush’s endorsement is more important than you think
Blog: Search for Florida’s lieutenant governor continues
Gov. Rick Scott gave little indication Tuesday about how the search for a lieutenant governor is proceeding, as the vacancy in the position hit eight months, Mark Skoneki reports for the Orlando Sentinel’s “Central Florida Political Pulse” blog.
Will Weatherford: Too Early to Commit on Lake Okeechobee Cleanup Fund
House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, got a quick lesson about the ecological and economic crisis that Treasure Coast residents faced this summer as polluted waters were released daily from Lake Okeechobee, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA’s Jim Turner reports via SunshineStateNews.com.
Fees, competition cause decline in Florida specialty license plates
Florida specialty license plates are on the decline, with fewer people shelling out extra money to show support for the troops, wildlife or the environment on the back of vehicles, explains Peter Schorsch of SaintPetersBlog.com.
Blog: AT&T’s Criser tapped to become next university system leader
A search committee tasked with finding the next head for the state university system has selected AT&T Florida president Marshall Criser III for the job. The full Board of Governors will be asked to approve the decision on Nov. 21, Tampa Bay Times’ Tia Mitchell reports on “The Buzz” blog.
Europe Appears Close to Agreement on Solvency II Insurance Rules
Europe may be nearing an agreement on rules that aim to make insurance companies safer after 13 years of wrangling between politicians, companies and regulators, Bloomberg reports via Insurance Journal.
The 2010 surplus lines modernization act is not interfering with the ability of state regulators to access financial data for surplus lines reinsurers regulated by other states, the Federal Insurance Office says in a new report, Arthur Postal reports for National Underwriter’s PropertyCasualty360.com.
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