Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Friday, Jan. 4

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Local governments could get access to $2.7B in investment pool

Local governments with money stuck in a state-run investment pool could get access to another $2.7 billion of their deposits during the next four months.

 

State investment fund’s liquidity stirs anxiety

Local municipalities and school districts are growing anxious over when they’ll have full access to money tied up in a state-run Local Government Investment Pool.

An internal audit last March warned the State Board of Administration, which invests local government money, that it should have a risk management committee to monitor its investments. 

 

Securities Class Actions Up, Reversing Prior Trend

Two new reports, including one published yesterday, delivered discouraging news for directors and officers insurers, revealing that the number of securities class actions started climbing again in 2007 after dropping in 2006.

 

Can Democrats Pounce?

Thanksgiving was almost here, but Dan Gelber was still feeling pretty peevish about the Legislature’s special session at the end of October.

 

State OKs Medicare Advantage plan

The parent company of the Any, Any, Any insurance plan for Medicare beneficiaries received an official nod of approval Thursday from state regulators.

 

Broward County: Bail lowered for woman accused of insurance fraud

A Broward judge reduced bail by $150,000 for a woman accused of defrauding insurance companies with her husband at his Lauderdale Lakes chiropractic office.

 

Florida’s tax system unprepared for a crisis

In 2005, the LeRoy Collins Institute for Public Policy published a report titled ‘Tough Choices’ pointing out that Florida’s housing boom of 2000-2005 had given Florida a remarkable boost in revenue, allowing a massive shift in tax policy, a shift away from taxes on wealth and a shift of funding from the state to local government.

 

Decision Makers Forum will keep Lake Okeechobee at center of water-use and environmental debates

Lake Okeechobee sits at an all-time low, but the thirst of nearby crops and a growing population continues to pull at what decades ago became South Florida’s backup reservoir.

 

Two arrested in theft of shutters

Police arrested two shutter company employees Wednesday on charges they stole more $20,000 worth of hurricane panels from their boss and kept the profits from selling them to friends, family and local businesses.

 

Untrained truckers busted in bribery scheme

If you wanted to be a trucker but didn’t have time for the training, Steven Baez was your guy.