Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Monday, April 19
Apr 19, 2010
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Florida’s Plant City Plagued by Sinkholes; ‘We Just Sit Here and Watch Them Grow’
Volcanoes and earthquakes get all the attention. But what about sinkholes?
Florida legislation could raise insurance rates, but industry says it is necessary
State Rep. Rick Kriseman is a reluctant expert on property insurance.
Editorial: Consumer choice insurance best plan for Florida
State Rep. Bill Proctor’s House Bill 447 — aimed at consumer choice in property insurance and deregulation of rates — heads to the state House floor Tuesday.
Senate’s insurance bill fair: But House bill would let premiums skyrocket
As usual, the property insurance bills before the Legislature are long and technical, but it’s easy to tell which one is better for consumers.
Florida Insurance Executive–Insurance crisis: Key is responsible regulation
Hurricane season is less than two months away and, as chairman of the board of Sawgrass Mutual Insurance Co., I am interested in legislative efforts this session to strengthen insurance companies so that claims can be paid fully and quickly when hurricanes strike Florida.
Loose reins, despite concerns: three examples
In 2008, the Office of Insurance Regulation gave Magnolia Insurance an operating license and a large chunk of policies from a state program despite staff concerns about the financial viability of the insurer and an inexperienced owner who had $40,000 in bad credit card debt.
How insurance regulators put Florida homeowners at risk
American Keystone’s rise and fall
American Keystone was backed financially by a Sarasota man who had been banned by the insurance industry, but still managed to win a license to sell policies.
Stepping up the pressure on Florida insurers
In recent months, Florida property insurers have come under increased pressure from regulators. So far, the owners and investors of four companies have been ordered to return money to their insurance operations or face closure. In an unusual move, regulators have taken those actions publicly.
New Duval flood maps redefine risk, insurance needs
Owners of thousands of acres across Jacksonville may have to buy flood insurance as city officials redraw flood maps for the first time in decades.
Sunshine State Is the Lightning Capital of the World
Lightning is obviously a serious danger to people and to property. Insured losses related to damage from lightning strikes topped more than $1 billion in the U.S. for the first time in 2008.
Humana drops some HMO Medicare doctors in Florida
Jack Hallstrom regards his dermatologist the same way he would a firefighter who pulled him out of a building he didn’t know was burning.
Florida House set to vote on Medicaid overhaul
Most of Florida’s 2.7 million Medicaid recipients in all 67 counties would be placed in private managed care plans under a pair of bills up for a House vote.
Bill prohibiting cameras at red lights advances
A bill that would prohibit the use of high-tech cameras by counties or municipalities to catch red-light runners passed a House committee Friday.
CFO Sink’s Safeguard Our Seniors Legislation Passes Senate Unanimously
Florida CFO Alex Sink’s Safeguard Our Seniors Legislation (SB 844) today was passed unanimously by the Florida Senate.
Dispute on whether to budget anticipated $880 million from feds may extend session
Talk of the legislature heading toward overtime emerged today as House and Senate leaders struggled to reach agreement on how much money they have to spend in the 2010-11 budget.
- Legislature at impasse on budget differences
- Legislature focuses on reviving budget talks, moving bills
Florida Appliance Rebate Program Out of Funds Already
Florida consumers trying to take advantage of rebates on energy-efficient appliances may be out of luck.
Florida lawmakers may offer redistricting amendment
Republican sponsors say their proposals, which cleared a Senate committee Friday and a House panel the day before, would just clarify the initiatives on the November ballot.
Sponsor drops Florida offshore drilling plan for now
The House sponsor of legislation that would lift a ban on offshore drilling in Florida’s state waters said Friday he was dropping the effort for this year but would try again in 2011.
Proposal for nonjudicial foreclosure stalls in Florida Legislature
A proposal to allow banks to bypass the courts in foreclosure cases is likely dead this year, according to the legislation’s sponsor and its primary industry proponent.
Florida Judge Bashes Bank in Foreclosure Case
A Florida state-court judge, in a rare ruling, said a major national bank perpetrated a “fraud” in a foreclosure lawsuit, raising questions about how banks are attempting to claim homes from borrowers in default.
The U.S. arm of Canadian banking giant TD Bank Financial on Friday acquired three failed Florida banks, including Riverside National Bank of Florida in Fort Pierce. That brings Florida to nine bank failures so far this year.
Crist’s veto renews Senate campaign
The decision on the recent teacher-pay bill has pumped new life into his campaign.
- Crist basks in teachers’ admiration as he campaigns on SB6 veto
- Backlash on Senate Bill 6 could hit Republicans in fall
- Governor Crist gets hero’s welcome at Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Senior High
- Crist’s campaign asks teachers to change party affiliation
- Teacher pay veto overshadows other Florida education bills
- Column: What the Legislature should learn from Crist’s veto
Romney to join Rubio’s Senate campaign
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney makes his first campaign appearance with Marco Rubio after handing him his endorsement for Florida’s open Senate seat.
Poll: Race for governor tightening; Sink edges closer to McCollum
Attorney General Bill McCollum’s lawsuit against national health care may be costing him politically, as new statewide poll shows the race for governor tightening.
Powerful Atwater embracing Tea Party
Jeff Atwater is the presiding officer of the Florida Senate, one of the three most powerful politicians of the fourth largest state in the nation. He’s a descendant of two Florida governors and a member of a prominent South Florida family. He’s a North Palm Beach Republican banker.
Florida Republican Allen West raises over $2 million in race for U.S. House seat
Republican Allen West has emerged as one of the nation’s top congressional money magnets after collecting a jaw-dropping $838,450 in the first quarter of 2010 for his challenge of U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton.
Florida Democrats feel specter of former Gov. Jeb Bush
With lame-duck Republican Gov. Charlie Crist weighing an independent bid for the U.S. Senate, Democrats are more convinced than ever a shadow captain is guiding the ship of state.
Ethics bills might be gaining new life at Florida Capitol
Ethics reform might yet be alive in the Legislature this year.
Editorial: Grasping power in Florida
Politicians will never voluntarily surrender political power. But what legislative leaders are preparing to do to thwart a pair citizen-generated proposed state constitutional amendments is nothing short of despicable.
Editorial: Make Florida’s sales tax fairer
It’s as unlikely as a headline that reads: Man bites dog. But here it is: Florida’s Legislature has an antibusiness bias.
Column: Report grades Florida’s privatized prisons
Just as the state reshuffles some of its contracts with the private prison industry, we get a report that says maybe the whole business is not such a good deal.
Proposed law to require degrees would oust Public Service Commission Chairwoman Nancy Argenziano
If you dropped out of college, you’re still qualified to be a Florida governor, leading the nation’s fourth largest state.
Bill Targeting New Orleans Saints Workers’ Comp Issues Expanded
An attempt by the New Orleans Saints to lower its workers’ compensation costs for injured players has mushroomed into an issue that would apply to all businesses and employees in Louisiana.
Auto insurance rates have climbed steadily in Louisiana since Hurricane Katrina and are now the highest in the nation, with the average driver paying an annual premium of $2,510, according to a new study by the Web site Insure.com.
Be Vigilant On Insurers’ Fiscal Health, Marsh Advises
While the property and casualty insurance industry is seeing signs of returning fiscal health, policyholders should monitor the financial stability of insures in their portfolio, executives advised.
Texas levee repairs may cost $150 million
Dallas’ degraded levee system needs as much as $150 million in repairs to ensure it can withstand a 100-year flood and to prevent thousands of property owners from being required to purchase pricey flood insurance, according to a plan released by City Hall late Friday.
Sinkhole cuts off 100 homes in N. California city
Crews were building a new road after a massive sinkhole in Richmond cut off a neighborhood of more than 100 homes.
The sinkhole swallowed up two parked cars when it opened Thursday evening. No one was in the cars.
The Insurance Services Office, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and the National Insurance Crime Bureau have announced an initiative that streamlines the process of reporting possible fraud in a filed claim.
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