Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Sep 2, 2015
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
- Florida Insurance Guaranty Association Board of Directors meeting. Tampa, Florida. To view the meeting notice, click here.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Last steps toward legality for Uber in Broward
A majority of Broward County Commissioners said yesterday they support allowing Uber to self-regulate, the Sun-Sentinel’s Brittany Wallman reports.
Father-son duo pushes in House and Senate on officials’ health benefits
They have different positions on expanding health care access to the working uninsured, but Sen. Don Gaetz is on board with an idea being championed by his son, State Representative Matt Gaetz, mandating that elected officials’ benefits not exceed those that are provided to Medicaid patients. Christine Sexton reports for PoliticoFlorida.com.
Miami Agent Arrested for Operating With Expired License, Stealing Premium Funds
The Florida Division of Insurance Fraud announced the arrest of Tania Michel, 41, for failing to notify the Department of Financial Services of a federal fraud conviction, continuing to work in the insurance industry after having her license expire, and knowingly misappropriating premium funds while working at an insurance agency, Insurance Journal reports.
Hertz 24/7 ending hourly car rentals in downtown Orlando
Hertz 24/7 is pulling out the cars it is renting by the hour in downtown Orlando on September 12, ending a nearly two-year run. State officials now are talking with Zipcar as a potential replacement. Dan Tracy reports for the Orlando Sentinel.
Senator Hukill’s bill would allow people to break into hot cars to save animals
A Florida bill proposed Monday could allow people to break into hot cars to rescue pets left by their owners, according to a Palm Beach Post and WPTV Channel 5 report.
Key Florida Cabinet members Call Time-Out on Drivers’ License Revamp
Two influential members of the Florida Cabinet on Tuesday sided with critics of a proposed revamping of the state system of issuing driver’s licenses from a county-by-county over-the-counter system to a centralized issuance system by mail that’s used in most states. The Tampa Bay Times’ Steve Bousquet reports via “The Buzz” blog.
Justices hear arguments on proposed Florida solar power amendment
Florida Supreme Court justices heard both sides of a proposed constitutional amendment on solar-generated electricity yesterday, SaintPetersBlog.com’s James Rosica reports.
Court clears way for Miami lawsuits against banks
A federal appeals court Tuesday said the city of Miami can pursue lawsuits alleging that three major banks violated the Fair Housing Act by targeting minorities for predatory loans. THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA’s Jim Saunders reports via SayfieReview.com.
Florida’s High-Stakes School Test Results are Valid, Study Says
Florida’s new high-stakes test, which came under fire after a chaotic rollout this past spring, is valid according to a new outside study released Tuesday. Gary Fineout reports for SaintPetersBlog.com.
Nearly $400 million State of Florida contract protested by AT&T
The telecommunications company now responsible for providing phone and Internet service to the state of Florida is raising questions about a major new contract awarded to a rival vendor. The Associated Press reports via SaintPetersBlog.com.
Meet the Republicans eying the Florida Attorney General’s office
The Florida GOP has a deeper bench than the Democratic party, and quite a few credible Republicans are in the mix for a potentially crowded Florida Attorney General primary, the Tampa Bay Times’ Steve Bousquet reports via “The Buzz” blog.
Jeb Bush–the Man Who Killed Trump’s Florida Casino Dreams
As Florida Governor, Jeb Bush maintained his hardline stance against gambling in the state, delivering a death blow to Trump’s hopes of building out a multi-million dollar casino endeavor with the Seminole Tribe of Florida and prompting him to abandon those plans. CNN’s Jeremy Diamond reports.
Federal Court Grants Class Action Status to Uber Drivers
A federal judge granted class-action status Tuesday to a lawsuit in California against Uber over the payment of its drivers, upping the stakes for the ride-hailing company in the case. The Associated Press reports via Advisen.com.
In an August 31, 2015 letter, the Financial Services Roundtable requested the Federal Insurance Office to withdraw its proposal to calculate a new auto affordability index, explaining that the FIO proposal fails to recognize key factors the drive insurance pricing trends. Meanwhile, Consumer Federation of America and 50 other consumer advocates urged for a stronger definition, Colodny Fass’ G. Donovan Brown reports on NationalInsuranceNews.com.
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