Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Friday, May 29
May 29, 2009
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THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA: Groups react favorably to insurance bill
A measure that calls for increased premiums for the state-run property insurance company’s policyholders and reduced hurricane exposure for the state prompted enthusiastic responses on Thursday.
Insurance Insider: Florida rates below expectations as late capacity flows in; average 15% hikes
With signs of early activity in the Gulf of Mexico, initial indications from the key 1.6 Florida renewals point to rate rises below expectations as new capacity entered the market.
Floridians will pay more later if big hurricane hits
Monday marks the beginning of a hurricane season that forecasters say could yield up to three powerful storms.
Unsecured Foreclosed Homes Pose Huge Risk as Hurricane Season Opens
Mike Manikchand points toward his neighbors in Lehigh Acres — a half-dozen empty, foreclosed-upon homes, sitting on weed-strewn yards — and he wonders: What will happen if a hurricane slams into southwest Florida this year?
Sink unveils new insurance library as part of hurricane preparedness week
Insurance Resource Will Help Consumers with Financial and Insurance Issues
Continuing her efforts during Hurricane Preparedness Week, Florida CFO Alex Sink on Thursday announced that the Department of Financial Services has developed an online Insurance Library to provide Floridians with comprehensive information on financial and insurance issues.
Editorial: Property insurance–Florida stands alone
If a hurricane hits this year, it may be financially devastating.
It must have pained him to do so, but Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday signed a bill authorizing 10 percent annual increases in state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp. premiums over the next several years.
Editorial: Strengthening homes pays off in the long run
In Hurricane Ivan’s aftermath, Rebuild Northwest Florida stepped up to help rebuild and restore a battered and bruised community.
Chinese drywall concern in Florida rises rapidly on Sen. Bill Nelson’s priority list
The focus on Chinese drywall — the kind that apparently corrodes air conditioning systems and metal in homes where it is found, and in some cases provokes respiratory problems with residents — is shifting from Florida to Washington.
DFS Issues Workers Comp Bulletin on Wage Loss Discount Factor Tables
The Florida Department of Financial Services has released Wage Loss Discount Factor Tables prepared by the Division of Workers’ Compensation.
Fla. amputee gets rare second chance to sue doctors
When the sharp pain shooting through Lisa Strong’s back got worse, she thought it was another kidney stone and expected the discomfort to pass. This time was different.
Hearing ordered for possible tuberculosis exposure at Florida DOE
A circuit judge Thursday called for a hearing on reports of tuberculosis exposure among state workers in some Department of Education offices in Tallahassee.
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA: Sink, McCollum both mum on workers’ comp. other issues facing Crist
Attorney General Bill McCollum and Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink may want to be the state’s next governor, but they’re not quite ready to take a position on some of the biggest issues facing the current governor.
Politicial bombshells reshape two Florida Senate races: Argenio out, Skidmore in
A pair of political bombshells reshaped two state Senate races in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast today.
Blog: Crist likely to veto SB 2080 over water and wetland permitting change
Gov. Charlie Crist said he’s leaning toward vetoing SB 2080, a measure that promotes Florida-friendly landscaping but also hands over state wetlands and water-use permitting to just five people.
Odom’s e-mails key to indictment
Leon County grand jury believes plans for an education building in Destin included aircraft storage
Developer Jay Odom laid out his plan to lease space for an airplane hangar from Northwest Florida State College in a March 20, 2008, “lease summary.”
LeMieux reviews legislative session
George LeMieux, onetime chief of staff to Gov. Charlie Crist, says more funding for public transportation and state universities is critical for Florida’s business to succeed in the near future.
Will Crist Lose in Sotomayor Confirmation?
Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation to the Supreme Court may already seem all but assured, but there’s still a summer full of drama to be had: Which senators will distinguish themselves in the confirmation process, and which will wind up as damaged goods?
Dinallo To Leave N.Y. Insurance Dept. For NYU
New York Insurance Department Superintendent Eric Dinallo, who is reported as a likely candidate for elective office will resign his post July 3 to take an academic post, Gov. David Paterson announced today.
Bill aims to increase in-state shelters for La.
A plan to increase emergency shelter space in Louisiana by upgrading public buildings so they can house hurricane evacuees was sent to the full Senate for debate Thursday.
Texas Senate Moves to Pass TWIA Reforms
Hoping to avoid a special legislative session this summer, the Texas Senate passed legislation that would restore Texas’ depleted windstorm insurance fund.
Sonar Used To Detect Hurricane Ike Debris In Texas Bays And Lakes
With most of the debris removed from public roads and highways in areas affected by Hurricane Ike, the push now is to complete cleanup operations in bays and lakes along Texas’ upper Gulf Coast, officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Governor’s Division of Emergency Management (GDEM) said Friday.
A panel of experts from Marsh & McLennan Companies today convened to provide insight and analysis on how companies with operations or properties along the U.S. Eastern Seaboard and the Gulf of Mexico should be preparing for the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season, which begins June 1.
Climate Claims Are The ‘New Asbestos,’ Swiss Re Suggests
Lawsuits related to climate change could expand faster than the explosion of asbestos claims and have significant impact on insurers, Swiss Re is warning in a new report.
Blue Shield wins ruling over rescinded health insurance
A judge ruled Thursday in mid-trial that Blue Shield of California had acted properly in canceling the health insurance policy of a former Cypress resident after he was seriously injured in a car accident.
Obama Regulatory Overhaul Features Fed Reserve, FDIC, Consumer Agency
Obama administration is proposing that the Federal Reserve serve as an all-seeing regulator to detect activities that could pose risks to the entire financial system.
FDA poised to get new power to regulate tobacco
In a historic shift in public-health policy half a century after the U.S. surgeon general first warned of the lethal dangers of smoking, Congress is poised to give the federal government sweeping new authority to regulate the manufacturing of cigarettes and other tobacco products.
USG Insurance Offers Auto Dealerships in Liquidation Program
USG Insurance, national wholesaler and program manager headquartered in Canonsburg, Pa., has announced an insurance program for auto dealerships that are closing their doors.
JLT Says Companies Need To Prepare For Swine Flu
London-based insurance broker Jardine Lloyd Thompson Ltd. is advising company directors to take steps to mitigate risk of exposure to the current swine flu pandemic and check their directors and officers liability.
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