Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Friday, Feb. 22
Feb 22, 2008
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Homeowner’s suit contends State Farm Florida withheld insurance discounts
State Farm Florida Insurance Co., Florida’s largest property insurer, is accused of failing to provide discounts to windstorm policy holders with hurricane-safe “hip” roofs, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in Broward County Circuit Court.
A bill to reduce the Florida Hurricane Fund’s exposure to $25 billion from $28 billion passed its first hurdle Thursday, winning unanimous approval from the House Jobs and Entrepreneurship Council.
Cutting risk would hike windstorm premiums
Property insurance premiums could increase by 2 percent across the state and more in South Florida under a proposal that easily cleared its first hurdle Thursday in the state House.
Fla.: Insurer to Discontinue Servicing State Wind Pool after 2008
Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. and International Catastrophe Insurance Managers LLC (ICAT) today announced that ICAT will continue to issue Citizens’ wind-only commercial nonresidential policies into 2008.
Smaller Insurers, More Options
As the big national insurance companies such as State Farm, Allstate and Nationwide continue to pull up stakes in Florida, smaller unheard-of companies have stepped up to fill some of the void.
Report: Hurricane damage cost doubling every decade
The damage caused by hurricanes is doubling every 10 to 15 years — not because of global warming but because more people are crowding into Broward, Miami-Dade and other vulnerable areas, according to a new study.
As Citizens shrinks, state’s risk exposure drops
The state-run insurer says it is thriving and cautions against more reforms.
Citizens Property Insurance chairman Bruce Douglas had some advice Thursday for Florida lawmakers who are considering a tweak of the property insurance reforms passed last year: Be careful.
EDITORIAL: A Year After Deadly Twisters, Florida Still Falls Short In Warnings
Florida recently marked the one-year anniversary of deadly tornadoes that swept the central part of the state, killing 21 people in a heart-wrenching display of devastation.
Governments should tread carefully
It’s not uncommon to read about heroic would-be rescuers who, in an effort to save someone caught in an undertow, wind up drowning as well.
Experts discuss best, safest ways to keep seniors on the road
Senior drivers are nothing new in Florida, but each year makes the state’s roads a little grayer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: We didn’t ask for our high home prices in South Florida
Your article in The High Springs Herald on Thursday, Jan. 31, concerning Amendment 1 was extremely narrow minded and prejudice.
OPINION: After Tax Amendment, Government Shouldn’t Look for New Funding
With the recently passed Tax Reduction Amendment, the governments are hopping on the bandwagon to seek fees offsetting any tax money saved by the taxpayer.
Polk’s Growth Outpaces Florida and Nation
Polk County’s growth is outpacing both the state and national averages as people continue to move here, especially into areas along Interstate 4 and in the eastern half of the county.
Buyers switching to condos, town homes
Condominiums and town homes have traded places with single-family houses as the leading type of new home sold in the Orlando area.
Proposed legislation would bring slots to Bonita dog track
Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Track patrons could also gamble at slot machines under a bill approved Thursday by a Senate Committee that still faces long odds.
Money (or lack thereof) will dominate legislative session
The people running government can have all kinds of ideas, but what government does or doesn’t do often comes down to whether there’s enough money.
GPS to track DCF cases, caseworkers
The devices will cut down on paperwork and alert supervisors to any oversights, officials say.
Florida’s child welfare workers will soon be carrying handheld Global Positioning System devices, similar to ones carried by UPS employees to track packages, to electronically update case information during home visits and show they were made.
State Sen. Mike Haridopolos is the newest faculty member at the University of Florida.
Rubio in Bradenton on Saturday
As if Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio hasn’t made it clear enough that he opposes the expansion of gambling in Florida, he’ll make the case again in Manatee County on Saturday.
Biodiesel proposal gathers steam
A plan to move Lee County into the biodiesel production business is taking shape quickly, quietly and with opposition.
Rescues for Homeowners in Debt Weighed
Prodded in part by some of the nation’s biggest banks, the Bush administration and Congress are considering costly new proposals for the government to rescue hundreds of thousands of homeowners whose mortgages are higher than the value of their houses.
Report Reveals Why La.’s Citizens Insurance Fumbled Katrina Claims
A report for the Louisiana Insurance Department shows that the state-sponsored “insurer of last resort” had trouble handling claims for hurricanes Katrina and Rita because it was switching to new outside contractors and activating a new computer system when the 2005 storms hit.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Rita Fraud
A Beaumont, Texas man pleaded guilty to making a false statement to FEMA in seeking disaster relief after Hurricane Rita.
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