Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Friday, Nov. 16

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Regulators deny Allstate rate increase

Proposed home insurance rate increases by four Allstate insurance companies that could have more than doubled what some Floridians pay for wind coverage were rejected Friday by state regulators.

 

Senate passes terror insurance bill

The Senate voted Friday to extend for seven years a post-Sept. 11 law guaranteeing federal help for the insurance industry in the event of a catastrophic terrorist attack.

 

Panel takes steps toward revamping Florida’s sales tax system

Lawmakers would have to review exemptions and revamp Florida’s sales tax system under proposals unanimously introduced Friday by a committee of the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission.

 

Bob Allen resigns in wake of conviction

State Rep. Bob Allen submitted a letter of resignation today in the wake of his conviction earlier this week in a solicitation case.

 

High court disbars former candidate

The Florida Supreme Court recently disbarred attorney Angelo Cappelli, 37, a former Republican state House candidate from St. Petersburg who is facing charges of grand theft and perjury.

 

Talk of the bay: Sink delivers message of harsh realities

The Charlie Crist camp is usually bullish on Florida’s economy. But state CFO Alex Sink, speaking in Largo on Thursday, wasn’t so optimistic.

 

National program would lower insurance rates, recognize reality

It suddenly appears Congress may create a national catastrophe-assistance program to brace millions of homeowners against natural disasters – and disastrous insurance rates.

 

Hospital agrees to pact with insurer

St. Vincent’s HealthCare has moved forward with its planned April 2008 takeover of operations at St. Luke’s Hospital by agreeing to a managed care contract with Aetna.

 

Crist administration committed to utilizing minority vendors

Hailed as “the first African-American governor of Florida,” Gov. Charlie Crist told a largely black audience Thursday he is “honored” to use his power to settle the Martin Lee Anderson civil case, restore civil rights of ex-convicts and reconsider the use of standardized testing in schools.

 

Brogan’s non-evaluation

President Frank Brogan’s indefensible secret deal with Florida Atlantic University’s former chief fund-raiser is not a firing offense. But failing even to mention the deal Tuesday during Mr. Brogan’s annual evaluation ought to be a firing offense for the FAU trustees.

 

FEMA Accused of Wasting More Katrina Funding

The Federal Emergency Management Agency wasted about $30 million last year in maintaining trailers for Hurricane Katrina survivors in Mississippi, according to a new government report.

 

The Line: Even for Senate GOP, Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining

The year started badly — 22 Republican seats up for reelection compared with just 12 for Democrats — and went downhill from there.

 

Aflac shares jump after winning key Japanese contract

A unit of Japan Post Holdings Co Ltd made Aflac Inc (AFL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) the exclusive provider of cancer insurance throughout the nationwide post office network, Aflac said on Friday, sending its shares up more than 5 percent.

 

Spitzer loses control of license proposal

The New York Times, in an editorial: ‘When Gov. Eliot Spitzer dropped his proposal to make driver’s licenses available to undocumented immigrants (Wednesday), he sowed disappointment and anger among many of his supporters – who felt, rightly, that they had been left holding the bag.

 

In Mississippi, Poor Lag in Hurricane Aid

Like the other Gulf Coast states battered by Hurricane Katrina, Mississippi was required by Congress to spend half of its billions in federal grant money to help low-income citizens trying to recover from the storm.

 

The Great Fire of 1835

The firemen really had their hands full on Dec. 16, 1835, when a raging fire left the city’s business district in ruins. Read about the most destructive fire in New York City history.