Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Friday, March 19
Mar 19, 2010
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Florida’s Market and How Surplus Lines Agents Are Faring
Hurricane Andrew, for all of the grief it delivered, gave wholesale broker Hull & Co. and Bruce Bowers a big opportunity.
Florida-based Brown & Brown buys New Jersey underwriters Excel and Spirit
Brown & Brown Inc. acquired substantially all of the assets of Excel Underwriters Alliance Inc. and Spirit Underwriters Inc.
Florida seatbelt campaign yields nearly 37,000 motorist citations
The Florida Highway Patrol says nearly 37,000 traffic citations were issued were during the first 15 days of March during a campaign focused on drivers who weren’t wearing their seatbelts.
Governor Crist gets bill stopping gun ownership from being considered in adoptions
Florida lawmakers today overwhelmingly approved a measure now on its way to Gov. Charlie Crist that is meant to prevent adoption agencies from asking prospective adoptive parents whether they own guns.
Proposed Florida amendment would block Obama health care bill
With Congress still wrestling over national health care reform, the Florida Senate advanced a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at stopping the federal measure from taking full effect in Florida.
Florida Department of Health-shrinking bill filed
The Florida Department of Health would face a major reorganization that scales back its duties and shrinks the size of its bureaucracy, under a proposal released late Thursday by House Republicans.
Florida Senate panel OKs jobs bill
A Florida Senate panel advanced a jobs package Thursday that would give tax breaks to a range of space, high-tech and film industries as well as potentially scaling back environmental and growth-management protections to kick-start development.
Bill would allow criminal charge in accident in which unborn child killed in Florida
If a pregnant woman is killed, the offender would be on the hook for two deaths, no matter how far along the pregnancy is, under legislation approved by a Senate panel Thursday.
Blog: Politics waters down new EPA pollution rules
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, facing heated criticism and pressure from the Florida Congressional delegation, is delaying a key component of its plan to clean up Florida’s waterways.
Florida House approves background check bill
Anyone seeking a state-regulated job working with children, seniors and disabled people would have to undergo a more thorough screening process under a bill that unanimously passed Thursday in the Florida House.
Florida House OKs bill changing campaign-contribution rules
The House on Thursday approved a major rewrite of election laws in a bill that would allow millions of new special-interest dollars to pour into campaigns, but one that would also give the public a better way to track the spending.
Blog: Trial lawyers find friendlier crowd in Florida Senate
After a bruising morning in the House, the trial lawyer lobby is seeing at least a ray of hope that this session isn’t a complete disaster, as some predict.
In Tallahassee today, focus is the budget
The state budget takes center stage Friday as the Senate wades through the detailed spending plan.
Florida Senate panel OKs tags with corporate logos
A Florida Senate panel has approved bills that would cut annual license plate fees by $6 and give motorists a chance to save more through tags emblazoned with corporate logos.
Sen. Aronberg seeks answers about sale of data firm with Florida contract to British company
Florida Department of Management Services Secretary Linda South signed the $248 million five-year renewal for the PeopleFirst human resources system without rebidding the contract with Cincinnati-based Convergys despite Gov. Charlie Crist’s pledge that new vendors would be sought.
Lawson claims spot on November ballot for Florida U.S House seat
With a heavy hometown boost, state Sen. Al Lawson claimed a spot on the November ballot Wednesday in his bid to knock off U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd in the Democratic primary.
Improved fingerprint technology proves to be a hit in Florida
FDLE says number of matches have tripled.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said the number of “hits” provided to local law enforcement agencies from fingerprints left at crime scenes has tripled as a result of improved fingerprint matching technology.
Nearly one-quarter of construction jobs lost in South Florida
South Florida is one of the hardest-hit regions for construction job losses as a “depression” continues to strangle the industry, the Associated General Contractors of America said today.
Republican-backed budget question to Florida voters is a biased ‘poll’ Democrats complain
‘Referendum query is loaded,’ Sen. Gelber says
No shock here: The Republican-led Senate passed Senate President Jeff Atwater’s proposal (SB 2742) asking voters in November if the federal government should have a balanced budget amendment.
Editorial: House should back off proposed Florida Public Service Commission changes
Though it doesn’t look like it on the surface, a piece of legislation requiring a college degree of anyone appointed to the Public Service Commission is a bit of payback chicanery aimed at getting the PSC’s tenacious Nancy Argenziano off the independent regulatory board.
Florida plan to kill tax benefit for films that aren’t ‘family friendly’ sparks backlash
Florida, the home of Mickey Mouse and beach-bound vacationers, was trying to polish its family friendly image but instead ran into a PR nightmare: an angry Hollywood.
State Farm to launch $400M catastrophe bond
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. is planning to launch a $400 million catastrophe bond to cover a portion of its U.S. earthquake exposure, excluding California, market sources confirmed Thursday.
Insurer Group Says Push to Abolish Louisiana Citizens Is Misguided
A representative from the insurer trade group, the American Insurance Association, testified before a Louisiana legislative panel that efforts to abolish Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation are misguided.
Arizona Drops Children’s Health Program
Arizona on Thursday became the first state to eliminate its Children’s Health Insurance Program when Gov. Jan Brewer signed an austere budget that will leave nearly 47,000 low-income children without coverage.
State Budget Deficits Could Harm the Insurance Industry
While 2009 was a tough year to do business, state and city leaders say 2010 and 2011 will be even tougher – the outcome of which could have negative implications for the insurance industry.
April 1 is closing date for citrus crop insurance
April 1 is the sales closing date for citrus crop insurance, according to the USDA’s Risk Management Agency.
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