Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Friday, April 10
Apr 10, 2009
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Governor’s Office Makes Request for Federal Declaration of a Major Disaster
Governor Charlie Crist sent a letter to President Barack Obama, requesting a declaration of a major disaster as a result of severe storms, flooding, flash flooding, straight-line winds and tornadoes in North Florida.
State Agriculture Chief Bronson Urging People To Get Animals, Chemicals Out Of Harm’s Way
Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles Bronson is asking farmers and residents in areas with the potential for flooding to be sure to get pesticides, fertilizers and propane tanks off the ground and safely stored away if they have time to do it without jeopardizing themselves.
Florida seeks U.S. help to back up hurricane catastrophe fund
U.S. Treasury backup for the state hurricane catastrophe fund isn’t an immediate option, but there are other possible ways to shore up the plan.
A U.S. Treasury backup for the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund isn’t an immediate option, but top state officials are still looking toward Washington for a possible remedy.
Questions Over Bailout for Insurers
As the Treasury Department considers life insurers’ applications for a bailout, big questions remain about how hard a bargain the government will drive.
Coral Insurance Company Ordered Into Rehabilitation By Circuit Court Judge
Leon County Circuit Court Judge P. Kevin Davey ordered the Hollywood-based Coral Insurance Company, a residential property insurance provider in Florida, into receivership for the purpose of rehabilitation, effective Thursday. The Department of Financial Services has been named as the receiver.
Lawmakers Seek Ban on Chinese Drywall
U.S. Sens. Bill Nelson, D.-Fla., and Mary Landrieu, D.-La., have filed legislation for a recall and immediate ban on tainted building products from China, as more and more people around the country are reporting problems in their homes built with imported drywall.
USAA downsizing its Tampa hiring spree
USAA is still on a hiring spree at its Tampa call center, but it’s adding fewer than the 400 jobs it announced in February.
Former Rep. Brown speaks to State Farm agents, criticizes Gov. Crist
Former state Rep. Don Brown spoke to a group of Big Bend State Farm agents Thursday on how storms and politics have pummeled the insurance industry in Florida.
CFO Sink: Four Arrested in Windshield Insurance Fraud Scheme
Employees at windshield replacement stores billed almost 1,000 fraudulent insurance claims
Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink today announced the arrests of four people in the Jacksonville area who were part of a scheme that resulted in almost 1,000 fraudulent windshield insurance claims, in which fifteen different insurance companies paid at least $775,000.
Feds Probe Cause of Deadly Explosion in Florida
A federal board investigating an explosion at Jacksonville’s T2 Laboratories are trying to determine whether the accident that killed four workers and injured 33 was an extraordinary mishap or a disaster waiting to happen.
Ground broken on Fasano hurricane shelter in Hudson
They remembered him as a devoted public servant, a man who worked hard for his constituents and led the charge on important issues of the day.
Florida home values have dropped – your insurance premiums should, too
Property values have dropped by a third since the pricing peak in summer 2006. So why haven’t homeowner’s insurance premiums free-fallen by a corresponding amount?
Blog: Common misconception about small insurers
There’s a common misconception among Florida insurance policyholders that start-up insurers don’t qualify for mainstream insurance ratings.
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA: Hospitals push for tobacco tax to fun Medically Needy, Medicaid
Hospital leaders said Thursday that they’ll push to have a portion of a higher cigarette tax earmarked as permanent funding for the Medically Needy and Medicaid Agend/Disabled programs, add-on programs through Medicaid that face possible elimination every year.
Miami Rep. David Rivera accused of playing politics in budget
A ban on embryonic stem-cell research. A prohibition on Cuba travel. More money for Florida International University.
Florida‘s Budget Crisis: Exemptions? Discussion Is Over
If you were wondering how serious the Florida Legislature is about solving the state’s funding problems, look no further than state Sen. Thad Altman, chairman of the Senate Finance and Tax Committee.
Questions linger for revamped U.S. Sugar deal
State water managers still have questions about the governor’s revamped deal with U.S. Sugar Corp., saying the price is too high and benefits for the Everglades too slow.
Brand new deal, same old questions: Gov. Charlie Crist’s revamped land buy with U.S. Sugar may be 60 percent smaller and cheaper, but South Florida water managers signaled Thursday they still didn’t like the way the numbers added up.
SunRail backers, critics spar over costs
Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, sent out a memo to state senators Wednesday claiming that a letter she got from the Federal Transit Administration showed the SunRail commuter train project didn’t have a pledge for the full $307 million it needs from the feds.
State Attorney General Bill McCollum sues Michael Vick chew toy company
Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum has sued the Jacksonville company behind a dog toy named for suspended NFL star Michael Vick.
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA: Crist, Other Officials May Face Pay Cuts
Assuming no overtime, Gov. Charlie Crist will earn less during the upcoming fiscal year as he and other top officials take pay cuts to share the pain.
75 supporters hand Meek a running start
About 75 people Thursday evening attended a rally supporting U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Miami, as he campaigned to be the first U.S. Senate candidate from Florida to qualify by petition.
FPL to build city in Florida that runs on solar power
Babcock Ranch, to be developed by Kitson & Partners on 17,000 acres northeast of Fort Myers, will cost the average Florida Power & Light customer about 31 cents a month.
A Florida developer announced an ambitious plan Thursday for a 19,500-home city with energy-efficient buildings that will be ”the first city on earth powered by zero-emission solar energy.”
FEMA Dissolves Gulf Coast Recovery Office
FEMA announced Thursday that it is eliminating the Gulf Coast Recovery Office, six weeks after a CBS News Investigation said the office was so poorly managed that Katrina recovery may have been slowed.
U.S. report: Hurricane Ike leaves Texas peninsula vulnerable to storm surges
A new government report concludes that Hurricane Ike stripped away every single bit of Bolivar Peninsula’s natural protections from tropical systems.
Former insurance franchisees sue bankrupt Brooke Corp., claiming fraud and racketeering
More than 80 former insurance agents for bankrupt Brooke Corp. have sued the company’s lending arm, accusing it of civil racketeering and fraud.
Use Of Mileage As Rating Factor Decreasing, But Accurate
As some companies begin eliminating or playing down the significance of annual mileage as a rating factor, a new study reports a “strong correlation” between miles driven and auto insurance claim costs.
If AIG P-C Operations Die, No Problem, Say PCI And AIA
Two property-casualty insurance trade groups have argued to Congress that American International Group is off the mark in saying that its bankruptcy would pose a “systemic risk” to the property-casualty insurance industry.
U.S. Treasury asking banks keep quiet on stress tests
The U.S. Treasury Department is asking banks not to mention the regulatory ‘stress tests’ as part of their first-quarter earnings results, according to a source familiar with government discussions.
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