Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Friday, July 25

 

 

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Florida Installs New Citizens Insurance Board of Governors Chairman

Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink announced the appointment of James R. Malone as chairman of the Board of Governors for Citizens Property Insurance Corp., effective August 1.

Court ruling could hike workers’ comp rates again

Construction industry would be among hardest hit, builders say

The lower workers’ compensation premiums Florida employers have enjoyed for the last five years could become a thing of the past.

EDITORIAL:  Big Insurer’s Bid To Up Rates Scary Blow After Two Calm Years

On its face, State Farm’s request to increase rates for hurricane coverage by an average of 47 percent statewide is outrageous and unjustified.

Self-insured condo fund may forfeit state license

State regulators are worried that a new self-insurance fund lacks enough members to spread its risk and say it hasn’t submitted all the paperwork needed to keep its license.

Weather stations could help insurers assess storm damage  

If you’re not looking up, you could miss them.

Dozens of weather stations installed on poles throughout Florida could change the way your homeowners-insurance company does business. The stations, installed by a California company called WeatherFlow, are thought to be among the hardiest wind-measuring devices in the nation.

State official admits felons worked in mortgage industry

The head of a state agency that allowed thousands of criminals to sell home loans in Florida has acknowledged that his office did not follow a screening law, but blamed legislators for failing to provide money to enforce it.

Protesters call for loan regulator to quit

Demanding changes, a watchdog organization paid a visit to the Miami office of Florida’s top mortgage industry regulator.

Waving placards and belting out full-throated chants, a community activist group marched into the Office of Financial Regulation’s Miami office Thursday with a message for the state agency’s chief: Resign.

State senator wants to keep pension money out of commodities market

State Sen. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, wants to stop managers of Florida’s $165 billion pension fund from investing billions of dollars in commodities markets, warning that such a move could contribute to jarring hikes in gasoline prices.

ADA hailed ‘great act of justice’ for civil rights

Florida Chief Justice Peggy Quince and Attorney General Bill McCollum joined advocates for the handicapped Thursday to celebrate the Americans with Disabilities Act as a new frontier in civil rights.

Report: Only 10% of Medicaid credits were used

A key component of Florida’s Medicaid pilot project — awarding points toward free products to patients who display healthy behaviors — has not been used by most of the people it was intended to help, an analysis released Thursday says.

Wexler’s Fox flap fuels interest in congressional race

Longshot Republican congressional challenger Ed Lynch said he’s seen a spike in campaign contributions and enjoyed newfound radio and TV exposure since Fox News personality Bill O’Reilly aired a report Tuesday accusing Democratic U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler of not really living in Florida.

Mailers duel over state Sen. Gary Siplin’s voting record

Florida trial lawyers are targeting Orlando state Sen. Gary Siplin with a leaflet mailed to voters accusing him of favoring insurers and telephone companies over consumers.

At least 39 seek 2 Fla. Supreme Court openings

At least 39 judges and lawyers, including some key players in the 2000 presidential election recount, have applied to replace two of the most conservative members of the Florida Supreme Court as Friday’s application deadline approached.

FIU gives Marco Rubio a $69,000 job

Outgoing state House Speaker Marco Rubio got a $69,000 part-time job at cash-strapped FIU. School officials said the hiring made good sense.

Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio has landed a part-time job at Florida International University that pays $69,000, amid layoffs and tuition hikes caused by what the university president called ”the most serious budget crisis in our history.”

Senator wants review of plan to lease Alligator Alley to investors

A South Florida senator wants an independent review of the state’s plans to lease Alligator Alley for 50 to 75 years.

Ga. official: Why wait for feds to OK water study?

Georgia’s top environmental official said Thursday the three states that have battled nearly three decades over water shouldn’t wait for Congress to approve an independent study on the issue, but should instead pay for it themselves.

EDITORIAL:  No Drilling, No Vote

Speaker Pelosi won’t let the House debate the merits of offshore drilling.

WHY NOT have a vote on offshore drilling? There’s a serious debate to be had over whether Congress should lift the ban on drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf that has been in place since 1981. Unfortunately, you won’t be hearing it in the House of Representatives — certainly, you won’t find lawmakers voting on it — anytime soon.

Committee likely to restrict mining in environmentally sensitive area

A committee next week will likely confine mining to the Alico Road corridor when it makes its long-awaited recommendations about the environmentally crucial area in southeast Lee County.

Escambia says no to hiring smokers

County passes policies aimed at curbing health-care costs

If you smoke or use tobacco, don’t bother applying for a job with Escambia County government.

Birnbaum To NAIC: Why The Conduct Analysis Delay?

A consumer advocate has asked the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Kansas City, Mo., to answer questions regarding a market conduct analysis project.

Aon Urges New York State Insurance Department to Enact Comprehensive Transparency Standards for All Insurance Producers

At a public hearing today in New York City convened by the New York State Department of Insurance and New York Attorney General, Steve McGill, chairman and chief executive officer of Aon Risk Services, urged the Insurance Department to put in place comprehensive transparency and consent standards that apply to all insurance producers conducting business in the state.

A.M. Best Special Report Finds Medical Malpractice Leads Captives’ Premium Decline

Falling medical malpractice premiums led to a 15% drop in net premiums written between 2006 and 2007 for a composite of captive insurance companies, but captives overall benefited from favorable underwriting trends, according to a new A.M. Best Co.’s special report in BestWeek U.S./Canada.

State Farm Raises Rates for Coastal Alabama

Citing growth and hurricane threats on Alabama’s coast, State Farm will boost its homeowners insurance rates by 12 percent to 18 percent in Mobile and Baldwin counties.

 

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