Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Wednesday, October 5
Oct 5, 2011
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.
Governor Scott Extends Wildfire Emergency Declaration for 30 Days
Florida’s still on fire. Governor Rick Scott on Tuesday extended a wildfire emergency declaration for another 30 days.
Stuart maintains strong fire safety rating
The results of a recent Insurance industry review of key Stuart municipal services will help keep property insurance premiums steady for residents of Stuart and Sewall’s Point.
Blog: New Broward flood maps would allow many to drop insurance
Fewer Broward County homeowners will live in areas that require flood Insurance, according to maps based on new proposed risk data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
State regulators predict hospice growth if state relaxes health care rules
If Florida eliminates its “certificate of need” program for health care facilities the number of hospices built in the state would increase.
Blog: Florida Department of Health makes reorganization plans
The Florida Department of Health began outlining a potential reorganization plan Tuesday that could lead to moving and consolidating divisions within the agency, reports the News Service of Florida.
Medicaid reform critics ramp up opposition
Activist groups critical of the state’s plan to place Medicaid patients in managed care say they’ll hold a protest at a health maintenance organization office in Tampa.
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA: House Back to Debating Hospital Approval Process
Amid questions about taking a free-market approach, a House panel Tuesday reopened a long-running debate about state approval of new health facilities.
Blog: Florida Governor Rick Scott confirms he is running for re-election in 2014
Governor Rick Scott, who narrowly won the governorship in 2010 and has been plagued by low approval ratings, confirmed to the News Service of Florida on Tuesday that he plans to run for re-election in 2014.
Blog: Courts administrator to Legislature — Fund us, and we’ll move along stalled foreclosures
A panel of lawmakers examined the scope of Florida’s mortgage foreclosure crisis on Tuesday as the Legislature prepares to introduce legislation that would speed up the process.
Florida Senate committee blisters ‘muzzling’ of nursing-home ombudsman
A Senate committee gave a lashing Tuesday to Governor Rick Scott’s elder affairs secretary over the firing of the state’s top nursing home watchdog and a subsequent federal report that determined Florida had violated the law by “muzzling” his office.
State reviewing cash incentives to businesses
The head of Florida’s new economic development agency said he is reviewing millions of dollars in cash incentives the state has given out in recent years and will recommend taking action against businesses not fulfilling their contracts.
Blog: Florida Attorney General Bondi going after fraudulent timeshare resale companies
Attorney General Pam Bondi unveiled on Tuesday her first legislative priority ahead of the January session: Cracking down on fraudulent timeshare resale companies.
Blog: Mike Grissom new Republican Party of Florida executive director
Mike Grissom has been named as executive director of the Republican Party of Florida, replacing the departing Andy Palmer.
Senate committee takes step toward defining unfunded mandates on cities, counties
A Senate committee agreed Tuesday to introduce a bill to address the thorny issue of unfunded mandates on local governments.
Florida Cabinet gives Manatee County developer time to contest county’s growth decision
When the Legislature passed sweeping growth management changes this past spring, opponents argued that local governments would have free rein to allow developers to build without regard to protecting natural resources and communities.
Florida consumers to get 52 percent reduced solar rebates
Floridians finally are getting rebates they were promised for buying solar energy systems two years ago.
Bill would end Florida ban on “dwarf tossing”
When wet T-shirt contests and mechanical bulls weren’t enough to attract crowds to bars in the 1980s, some bar owners began the spectacle of “dwarf-tossing” — launching little people for the amusement of an audience.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is expected to be on the hot seat Thursday as both the Senate and House banking committees take turns grilling him during a long-delayed hearing on the policies and regulations of the Financial Stability Oversight Council.
Federal Emergency Management Agency Loosens Insurance Rules
Hundreds of Calaveras County homeowners who are being forced to buy flood insurance they don’t need can now get relief thanks to an agreement between federal and county officials.
Some Texas Residents Say Seismic Testing is Damaging Homes
Some homeowners in southeast Fort Worth, Texas, say they have found damage to their homes that they believe was caused by recent seismic testing in their neighborhoods.
Texas Attorney General: Roofing Contractor to Pay Restitution for Misleading Homeowners
A Rosenberg, Texas-based roofing contractor has agreed to reimburse all homeowners who improperly paid the company’s “liquidated damages” contracts, the Texas Attorney General’s Office reports.
New Texas insurance commissioner says politics won’t guide her decisions
New Texas Insurance Commissioner Eleanor Kitzman sought to assure a Senate committee Tuesday that politics will not be a consideration as she leads the state agency that regulates the insurance industry.
New York Launches Department of Financial Services
New York’s new Superintendent of Financial Services Benjamin M. Lawsky announces the launch of the state’s Department of Financial Services, which merges the insurance and banking departments.
McGurn Named Chairman of the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers
David E. McGurn Jr. is the 2012 chairman of The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers, the association announces today.
Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Program May Be Dismissed By Mid-October
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is evaluating a new actuarial report on the administration’s controversial long-term care insurance program and will issue recommendations on its future in mid-October, a top official said.
Moody’s: Workers’ Compensation Claim-Frequency Increase Adds to Profitability Challenges
Reports from the National Council on Compensation Insurance showing that workers’ comp claim frequency in 2010 increased for the first time since 1997 is credit-negative for property and casualty insurers, says Moody’s, but it’s too early to know if the increase is a cyclical tendency or reversal of the long-term trend.
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please send an email to Brooke Ellis at bellis@cftlaw.com.