Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Monday, January 24
Jan 24, 2011
To view a complete story, click on a headline below:
Column: Florida Senator Mike Bennett says it’s time for a new insurance commissioner
Floridians spoke decisively in November of their desire to reform government. The election results were not only a rejection of the status quo and business as usual in Tallahassee, but also a strong affirmation of new ideas, new leadership and new faces.
Florida Lawmakers To Consider Ambitious Property Insurance Rewrite
An ambitious Florida property insurance rewrite has been filed and will get its first public hearing this week as lawmakers try again to reduce costs for the industry.
Population turnover, short memories, complacency and laziness all add up to potential “dire consequences” should a substantial hurricane threaten Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast, a state study says.
Two charged with fraud after Florida West Coast homes sold with sinkholes
Two men were arrested after detectives say they sold homes that once were plagued by sinkholes in Hernando County.
Blog: New study tweaks Florida 1926 and 1928 hurricanes’ strength
The great 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane drowned at least 2,500, and as many as 3,000, people, most of them in Palm Beach County.
Town of Bronson set to get flood mapped
The Bronson Town Council voted unanimously Monday night to accept a proposal from the Southwest Florida Water Management District to map land elevations of the town and surrounding property.
New Florida Insurance Agency Formed After Long-Term Partners Split
The Connelly, Carlisle, Fields & Nichols insurance brokerage firm, a member of the Aliant Insurance Group, began operations this month at its corporate headquarters in Clearwater, Florida.
Editorial: No resort in property insurance meltdown
To whom do homeowners turn when Florida’s property insurer of last resort says it will no longer cover them?
Florida lawmakers seek to reduce costly court battles over auto insurance
Key state lawmakers say lawsuits over auto insurance disputes must be reined in and they will consider ways to cut back on the costly courtroom battles when they meet in March.
Florida’s Hillsborough County wants to crack down on fraud from staged crashes
Hillsborough County is becoming a hotbed for insurance fraud involving staged auto accidents, and law enforcement is asking county government for help in fighting the crimes.
Florida Attorney General Bondi dodges Scott’s roadblocks to take aim at pill mills
New attorney general has to dodge roadblocks and names former opponent special prosecutor.
New Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi campaigned on making the fight against pill mills a priority. She has already launched an offensive on the state’s rampant prescription drug problem, even as Governor Rick Scott’s decisions have left potential roadblocks.
Title firm owner accused of fraud dies in custody
Roger Gamblin, the charismatic businessman accused of looting his title company and fleeing in 2008 with his wife to Colorado, where they were caught last month by the FBI, died Friday in federal custody, his attorney said.
Blog: Republican Party of Florida names Andy Palmer its new old executive director
The Republican Party of Florida has named a new executive director, Andy Palmer, who held the same position with the party in 2005 and 2006.
Florida regulators receiving new complaints about mortgage modifications
Some Florida foreclosure rescue companies and law firms that offer loan modifications continue to charge upfront fees and do little to help struggling homeowners, according to thousands of complaints filed with state regulators.
Florida’s financial reckoning appears imminent
Florida is open for business. That’s the natural conclusion drawn from a report that ranked the cheapest places to locate corporate headquarters.
Blog: Florida Democrats want to change 2012 primary date
Republicans who will decide whether and how to reschedule Florida’s statutorily set January 2012 presidential primary date, and there’s little consensus among top GOPers about whether to comply with the schedule called for by the national Republican and Democratic primaries.
“Inside the Lines” website debuts to track Florida’s redistricting process
“Inside the Lines”, a hyper-focused website dedicated to tracking Florida’s historically contentious redistricting process, goes live today at InsideTheLinesFLA.com.
Florida Senator Fasano targets nuclear charges with bill
With the Public Service Commission next week holding hearings on revised charges for Florida Power & Light Co. customers, a Senate bill would eliminate a 2006 state law that allows utilities to charge for new nuclear plants even if they are never built.
Jacksonville representative proposes retaliatory estate tax on non-residents
If other states stop taxing us, we’ll stop taxing them, he says.
A Northeast Florida lawmaker is trying to shield Floridians from estate taxes on property they inherit in other states by returning fire.
Unions vs. GOP in Pension Battle
House Speaker Dean Cannon says state pension reform is “on the agenda.” But the subject promises to be contentious, as public-sector labor unions have already ramped up their defenses.
Florida Governor Rick Scott’s school-voucher push faces legal hurdles
Stung by court defeats in Florida and Arizona earlier this decade, school-voucher advocates set out to create a new system that would give students choices beyond public schools but still pass constitutional muster.
Florida Senator Haridopolos: Officials look to build confidence
Florida needs “stability, certainty and predictability” before its businesses can begin putting people back to work — and the state Legislature is looking to provide that foundation, Senate President Mike Haridopolos said Saturday night.
Will GOP end high-speed rail’s momentum?
Fate of expensive project lies with key Florida Republicans
Florida’s high-speed rail system may offer trains capable of running at 168 mph, but the project has yet to prove it can outrun the pull of state politics.
Louisiana governor’s insurance plan gets support
Black physician groups and operators of some health clinics for the poor have lined up in support of the Jindal administration’s plan to have state taxpayers purchase private health insurance policies for the poor.
Ruling worries South Carolina contractors; Responsibility for settlements shifts under ruling
A recent ruling from South Carolina’s highest court has general contractors throughout the state worried that they could be liable for paying potentially huge financial damages that their insurers traditionally covered.
Offshore Tax Supporters, Opponents Debate Accuracy Of Study
Supporters of the “Neal Bill,” which deals with a proposed tax on offshore reinsurers, said a study commissioned by the bill’s opponents is flawed.
Rising waters threaten the coast of North Carolina
The sea that sculpted North Carolina’s coast, from its arc of barrier islands to the vast, nurturing sounds, is reshaping it once again.
Insurance Broadcasting in conjunction with the Insurance Media Association, announced its 8th annual list of the “100 Most Powerful People In The Insurance Industry, North America” also referred to as “The Insurance Dream Team.”
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please send an email to bellis@cftlaw.com.