Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Friday, August 7
Aug 7, 2009
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Senator Martinez Resigns Early
Senator Mel Martinez, Republican of Florida, who had already announced he was not running for re-election in 2010, has decided to leave the Senate for good in the next few weeks, according to Senate Republican aides.
Likely Martinez replacement: FSU Chairman Jim Smith
Jim Smith is Gov. Charlie Crist’s likely pick to replace U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, a key Republican source has told The Palm Beach Post.
State Farm increase may hit 28.4 percent
Trying to shore up its finances, State Farm Florida will eliminate or reduce some insurance discounts it offers to homeowners — leading to an average premium increase of 28.4 percent.
Lucrative disaster-claim-paperwork contracts spawn big-money battle
For a reminder that disasters are big opportunities for profit, there is no place like Florida.
United Insurance Holdings Corp. to Announce Financial Results for its 2009 Second Quarter
United Insurance Holdings Corp.(OTCBB:UIHC; UIHCW; UIHCU) (‘United’ or the ‘Company’), an underwriter of homeowners and selected small business insurance in the State of Florida, today announced that it expects to release its financial results for the second quarter and six-months ended June 30, 2009 after the market closes on Thursday, August 13, 2009.
Countrywide to begin making settlement payments of at least $3,000
Countrywide Financial, now owned by Bank of America, will soon begin making cash payments of at least $3,000 to each of its Florida customers who have experienced a foreclosure or fallen behind on mortgage payments within four months of getting their loan.
Charlie Crist: Florida does its part to expand coverage
With more than 18 million people in Florida, the issue of affordable health care has been a priority of my administration
Young Floridian workers come up short on health care, ‘critically at risk’
Even though Floridians ages 19 through 29 make up only 14 percent of the population, they are 25 percent of all uninsured, the largest of all age groups in that situation, census data show. Of the 2.4 million Floridians in that age group, an estimated 915,000 are uninsured, according to U.S. census data.
Governor may cancel summit on climate change
Gov. Charlie Crist is cooling to global warming.
Florida ranks last in highway stimulus spending
A congressional leader says Florida ranks last in spending federal highway stimulus
Crist: Support Everglades efforts
News Service of Florida: Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday defended a $536 million plan with U.S. Sugar Corp. to purchase 73,000 acres in the Everglades as critics wrapped up arguments in their effort to overturn the deal.
Closing arguments end in lawsuit against Everglades land deal
Opponents to a half-billion-dollar Everglades land buy Thursday called for a judge to kill the deal they say sprang from political pressure applied by Gov. Charlie Crist and survived “misrepresentations” by South Florida water managers.
State Rep. McKeel Gets PAC Funds for Re-Election
State Rep. Seth McKeel, seeking a third two-year term in the Florida House in 2010, does not appear to be in a rush to grab up the campaign money that flows to incumbents. Contributors include the Committee of Florida Agents, Insurance political action committee, $500.
ESPN’s Lou Holtz nixes run for Congress
Former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz told an Indiana television station he doesn’t plan to run for Congress against Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, D-New Smyrna Beach.
National political Web site labels Rooney early favorite against Craft in 2010 Congressional race
U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, has been made the early favorite in Floridas 16th District as St. Lucie County Commissioner Chris Craft formally announced Thursday his intention to run for the federal office in 2010.
Former NASA Official Guilty of Ethics Charge
A former top NASA official was convicted Thursday in the District’s federal court of steering millions of government dollars to one of his consulting clients.
Agency to amass home-by-home records of water use in Northeast Florida
Largest effort yet to track what happens to water in this thirsty region
If your neighbors are wasting water, a state agency could find out soon.
Louisiana: Panels to Settle Hurricane Project Disputes
President Obamas administration announced the creation of three-judge panels to settle big-ticket infrastructure financing disputes between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state and local governments still rebuilding from the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes.
Court ruling finishes off Caduceus claims
News Service of Florida: The First District Court of Appeal ruled Thursday that a circuit court judge did not overstep his authority when he dismissed bad faith claims against an insolvent trust fund and lowered claims settlements from $4 million to just $500,000.
Stanford Clients Sue Willis Group
A group of Venezuelan clients of Stanford Financial Group have sued the insurance broker Willis Group Holdings, accusing it of contributing to a $7 billion (4.2 billion pounds) Ponzi scheme at the Texas-based investment company founded by Allen Stanford.
Good Luck Getting Private Insurance for Unemployment
The latest figures from the Department of Labor show that 247,000 more jobs disappeared last month.
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