Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Friday, March 27
Mar 27, 2009
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THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA: State Farm could charge higher fees under bill
Two months after being denied higher rates, State Farm Insurance Co. and other large insurers could charge premiums not regulated by the state under a proposal approved by a House committee on Friday.
State Farm’s Exit Remains In Limbo
State Farm’s plan to get out of the property insurance business in Florida is still on hold; the insurance giant sought an appeal of the conditional withdrawal plan approved by the state’s Office of Insurance Regulation, but its request for a hearing was denied this week by the office.
Bill would cap attorney fees over workers’ compensation
A bill that would restore a cap on attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases is ready for a final vote in the House.
FLOIR Gives State National OK to Offer Commercial Liability Program in Southeast
A subsidiary of 21st Century Holding Co. (Nasdaq:TCHC) has received approval from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation to market and underwrite commercial general liability insurance.
Chinese drywall in Florida attracts federal scrutiny
A Washington, D.C., team of investigators with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission was in Southwest Florida on Thursday inspecting the electrical and air-conditioning systems of four homes as part of its growing inquiry into defective Chinese drywall.
Miami-Dade doctor, chemist plead guilty to Medicare fraud
Miami-Dade physician Carmen Lourdes del Cueto, 65, and chemist Alexis Dagnesses, 44, pleaded guilty Thursday to participating in a scheme to bill Medicare for $10 million in false claims for HIV-infusion therapy.
Central Florida Nursing Home Owner Arrested for Defrauding Medicaid Out Of Over $52,000
Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced the arrest of the former owner and administrator of Loving Heart Home City, an assisted living facility located in Kissimmee.
Letter to the editor: Changing workers’ comp
The News-Journal editorial Sunday berates the fact that carriers and the National Council on Compensation Insurance are in cahoots with big business to control the workers’ compensation system in Florida — even though the Legislature is the responsible party for approving all the rules that the carriers and NCCI must abide by for Florida employees.
As Florida faces a worsening crisis involving property insurance-a crisis exacerbated by the recent withdrawal of State Farm, one of Florida’s largest private providers-there are lessons to be learned from problems in another line of insurance.
Homestead, once leveled by Hurricane Andrew, now struck by foreclosures
Seventeen years after Hurricane Andrew leveled much of southern Miami-Dade County, a different kind of storm is devastating households here: foreclosures.
Florida Senate panel to hear bills raising some taxes
Forced by the state’s grim budget to take up tax proposals it has long resisted, the Senate Finance and Tax Committee Thursday announced it will hear three bills Tuesday to raise the cigarette tax $1 and two others to close corporate and real estate tax loopholes.
Political parsimony: Florida lawmakers scrounge for every nickel, dime and dollar
Staring down a $3 billion deficit for the coming budget year, lawmakers are doing what amounts to turning up the couch cushions in search of spare change.
Florida House, Senate at odds over budget
The philosophical rift between the House and Senate grew wider Thursday as both chambers worked on competing plans to deal with a $6 billion budget shortfall.
Crist Facing Conservative Rebellion
Florida Republican Party circles are hearing increasing talk of conservative dissatisfaction with Gov. Charlie Crist, and a possible primary challenge if he runs for the U.S. Senate next year.
Midway through legislative session, gambling is key
The 60-day legislative session is at the halfway mark, and the gambling tug of war between the House and Senate continues.
Budget Reality: Some Will Suffer
In a gruesome budget year, who’s first in line for the few spare dollars available – Florida’s schoolchildren or its poorest and frailest residents?
Florida Mortgage Fraud Crisis Called ‘State Of Emergency’
As more Floridians face losing their homes to foreclosure, more crooks emerge to take advantage of them, and the state’s attorney general says the problem has become a crisis.
SunRail in trouble in Tallahassee?
SunRail’s backers plan to bring U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D- Jacksonville, to the state Capitol next week to step up the lobbying push for Central Florida’s $1.2 billion commuter rail project.
Florida attorney general goes on offense about name-building ads
Potential rivals in the next governor’s race Bill McCollum and CFO Alex Sink continued feuding over the no-bid contract for his cybercrime campaign.
Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum upped the financial and political stakes of his campaign against Internet sex crime, urging Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink Thursday to greenlight another $975,000 in television spots under a no-bid contract with his former campaign consultant.
Former speaker of Florida House weighs 2010 Senate bid
Former House Speaker John Thrasher said Thursday he likely will run in 2010 for a seat that will be vacated by state Sen. Jim King, R-Jacksonville.
Florida Senate panel preserves ban on gifts from lobbyists
Florida’s ban on lobbyists buying food and drinks for lawmakers appears safe for another year.
Groups push to end gerrymandering in Florida
Congressional District 16 could be one of the most gerrymandered districts in Florida.
Treasury Financial System Regulatory Plan Retains States’ Insurance Role
According to National Association of Insurance Commissioners President and New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner Roger Sevigny, the most recent financial services regulatory proposal from the Obama Administration retains a role for state insurance commissioners.
Another Step Towards Solvency II Approval
A unit of European Union reached informal agreement yesterday on Solvency II, a broad framework to enhance insurer capital requirements and supervision. The action drew a positive response with some reservations from some insurance segments.
Get the Feeling You’re Being Watched? If You’re Driving, You Just Might Be
Cameras to Catch Speeders and Scofflaws Are Spreading — And Sparking Road Rage
The village of Schaumburg, Ill., installed a camera at Woodfield Mall last November to film cars that were running red lights, then used the footage to issue citations. Results were astonishing. The town issued $1 million in fines in just three months.
Insurers So Far Not Resisting Madoff-Linked D&O Claims
Insurers are not currently contesting directors and officers’ legal defense claims related to the Bernard Madoff pyramid scheme, but carriers are examining proceedings to see if they can stop payments, legal experts said.
Ernst & Young to Pay $109 Million to Settle Alabama Fraud Suit
Ernst & Young LLP has agreed to pay $109 million to HealthSouth Corp. shareholders who sued the firm for failing to detect an accounting fraud involving more than a dozen executives.
North Dakota Flooding Prompts Federal Disaster Designation
President Barack Obama has declared North Dakota a federal disaster area because of statewide flooding; the move means the federal government will pay 75 percent of state and local government costs for the flood fight.
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