Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Friday, March 12

 

 

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Florida Senator Bennett has filed a bevy of insurance bills

State Sen. Mike Bennett is a prolific filer of bills, and again this year, he’s proposing a number of changes to state insurance laws.

 

Editorial:  Balance insurance reform–No free-market solution for Florida’s broken market

Unfortunately, the Legislature doesn’t want to revisit one of the most creative proposals for Florida’s property insurance problem. So consumers will have to hope that the Legislature tries to improve the current system in a way that doesn’t give all the benefits to the insurers.

 

Tornado Damage Reported in East Polk

Two tornados, wind and rain swept across Polk County late Thursday afternoon. One tornado damaged buildings and displaced residents at Grenelefe Golf and Tennis Resort east of Haines City.

 

Blog:  Sue the bastards! Disgraced politician Jim Exline in insurance hell

Disgraced former West Palm Beach City Commissioner Jim Exline this week filed a lawsuit against a woman who caused a chain collision in Lake Worth last year, ultimately injuring him.

 

Blog:  Allow Credit Scores to Help Set Auto Insurance Premiums in Florida?

The battle lines are clear, and both sides are ready to go at it again. Using someone’s credit score to help determine his or her auto insurance premium is either a necessary tool for insurance companies, or a dangerous and discriminatory practice designed mainly to boost company profits. For the second time in two years, legislation has been filed in Florida to end the practice.

 

Blog:  Florida Consumer Advocate Blasts Costly ‘False Logic’ Behind Credit Scoring

What if an insurance company charged you more than someone else who was a similar risk for no reason, or at least no reason the company would tell you? That’s what could happen if credit, education or employment “scoring” is allowed to be used by Florida insurance companies.

 

Auctioning casino licenses could produce $2.3 billion in Florida

Auctioning off eight licenses to operate Las Vegas-style casinos could produce $2.3 billion in upfront revenue for Florida – more than triple the state’s cut under the next most lucrative proposal, the Legislature’s top economist told a House gambling panel Thursday.

• Florida House panel hears casino pitch
• Florida lawmakers still hope for gambling agreement with Seminoles

 

Florida Senate pushes for stricter scrutiny of workforce boards

Outraged by revelations of high living and cronyism, state lawmakers want stricter oversight of Florida’s 24 regional work force boards that try to find jobs for people.

 

Florida to have trouble meeting water needs

Report’s recommendations include continuing “local sources first” policy.

Despite receiving more than 54 inches of rain a year and having 7,700 lakes, 50,000 miles of rivers and streams and more than 700 springs, Florida will have problems supplying enough water to satisfy the needs of its 18 million residents, a Senate committee was told Thursday.

 

Suit alleges Florida discriminates in contracting

A federal lawsuit alleges Florida discriminates against minority-owned companies in awarding contracts.

 

Mental health, child abuse, substance abuse programs on chopping block

Screaming for more money, the Senate panel that writes the health-care budget unveiled a proposed spending plan Thursday that cuts children’s mental health services, hearing aids and child abuse programs and hundreds of state jobs.

 

Florida lawmakers propose eliminating all state funding for libraries

With Florida’s economy in the tank and unemployment at a record high, more Floridians are turning to public libraries to search for jobs, apply for services and get free entertainment.

 

Column:  Florida State Senator Mike Fasano plans bumper crop of advertising

Rarely at a loss for ideas about relieving the squeeze on ordinary Floridians’ strapped budgets – hello, Progress Energy – Mike Fasano’s latest arrives with the benefit of being loopy and controversial, not to mention unwieldy, cheesy, embarrassing and, probably, downright impossible.

 

Report blasts firm overseeing Katrina recovery

An engineering firm hired to oversee the reconstruction of city buildings and infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Katrina has been overcharging the city, including billing for theater tickets and a flight to Las Vegas, an internal investigation found.

 

Insurers risk disagreement with European Union watchdog on Solvency II

Europe’s insurers are on course for a disagreement with regulators over new capital rules aimed at protecting policy holders in case of financial meltdown.

 

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