Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Monday, June 22
Jun 22, 2009
To view a complete story, click on a headline below:
Blog: Crist barraged by HB 1171 e-mail campaigns
Gov. Charlie Crist has received 12,923 emails about HB 1171, a bill that would deregulate property insurance sold by national mega-insurers in Florida. Of those messages, 11,501 were part of organized email campaigns.
Florida Public Interest Research Group: Crist should veto anti-consumer insurance rates bill
Not one Floridian has been spared from the challenges of these tough economic times. Yet a bill that would allow a select few, big property insurance companies to sneak unrestrained, unregulated and unrelenting rate hikes on unsuspecting consumers is sitting on Gov. Charlie Crist’s desk.
Opinion: Consumers should select their property insurers
Gov. Charlie Crist has until June 27 to act on House Bill 1171, which its sponsor says will allow consumers choice in picking property insurance, even from companies unregulated by the state.
Frightful Florida global warming forecast for 2099: Will your grandkids be under water?
More drought, more flooding. Hotter days, harder rain. Higher- intensity hurricanes.
CNN Video: The fender-bender tax
As if car accidents weren’t costly enough, you may be charged a crash tax for police and fire department assistance.
How mad would you be if you got into a fender bender and a few weeks later got a bill for hundreds of dollars to cover police and emergency responders’ costs?
Ocala Police can’t bill insurance companies for crashes anymore
The Ocala Police Department no longer will bill the insurance companies of people involved in traffic crashes for officers’ services. It is now against the law to do so.
Signs of car insurance fraud; Florida ranks fourth in nation
According to James Quiggle of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, a variety of red flags often alert insurance fraud investigators to potential owner give-up situations.
Florida Office of Insurance Regulation and German Regulator Sign International Cooperation Agreement
Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty today announced that the Office of Insurance Regulation and the German Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding formally committing to work together on sharing critical information and coordinating regulatory duties regarding insurance issues that could affect consumers in Germany and the United States, particularly Florida.
Gainesville Area Airport shut by insurance issue
The public airport in Keystone Heights closed Thursday and is expected to remain closed until a new liability insurance policy goes into effect.
Fort Lauderdale-based viatical public corruption inquiry intensifies
Veteran prosecutor put on fraud case
The U.S. Department of Justice has called on a tenacious veteran prosecutor to help handle a grand jury investigation into public corruption in Florida – a top-secret inquiry related to a Fort Lauderdale business that authorities suspect was a colossal fraud.
Florida Drilling Backers See Rare Chance
Drilling for oil and natural gas within 10 miles of Florida’s coast has suddenly become one of the chief objectives for Republican legislative leaders and industry backers who see a rare convergence of political opportunity and public sentiment.
Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum today filed an objection in the General Motors bankruptcy case in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York to ensure Florida’s ability to regulate automotive manufacturers and protect consumers purchasing General Motors vehicles.
State Republicans discourage Sen. Paula Dockery on McCollum gubernatorial challenge
While state Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, continues to look seriously at challenging Bill McCollum for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, the GOP appears to be working overtime to discourage her.
Rubio gets some good news in run for U.S. Senate
The fundraiser set to be hosted Wednesday by elected officials and business leaders at the posh Biltmore Hotel in South Florida sounds like countless other receptions benefiting Florida’s political establishment — but the invitation topped with bold-faced names is for Marco Rubio, the upstart candidate for the U.S. Senate challenging the popular Gov. Charlie Crist for the GOP nomination.
State Senate candidate Ramos picks up endorsement of state labor union
State Senate candidate Bill Ramos, a Democrat from Jensen Beach, picked up the endorsement of the Florida AFL-CIO for the District 28 race to replace retiring Sen. Ken Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie.
Gambling entering a new era in Florida
When Gov. Charlie Crist gathered to sign one of the most expansive gambling bills in state history last week, he chose as a backdrop not a casino, horse track or jai alai fronton, but instead opted for the campus of a Miami high school.
One year later, Everglades land deal shrinks to stay alive
One year ago, Gov. Charlie Crist surprised the state with a blockbuster land deal aimed at restoring the Everglades’ “missing link” through sugar cane country.
Document could be the key in Sansom case
Some seemingly cryptic information on a document could be crucial in the prosecution of Ray Sansom, former Florida House speaker.
A crucial document in the criminal case against former Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom is one spare page: three typed lines, a handwritten note in the margin and the number 1, circled.
U.S. Senate Committee Holds Hearing on Over-the-Counter Derivatives Today
Witnesses at this afternoon’s hearing of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs include U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro and U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Gary Gensler.
States Seek to Join Federal Probe Into AIG Bonuses, Alleged ‘Half Truths’
U.S. states probing employee bonuses paid by American International Group Inc. using taxpayer money plan to join federal investigators in the matter, while leaving open the possibility of pursuing the case themselves.
Louisiana Bill Calls for Increasing, Upgrading Emergency Shelters
Louisiana should try to increase its own emergency shelter space by upgrading public buildings, like schools or government sites, so they can house hurricane evacuees, a House of Representatives committee has agreed.
Editorial: State Farm’s rate case mocks insurance regulation
State Farm is masterful at working the legal system. For six years, it has danced in and out of court to thwart the Texas insurance department’s order to refund millions to policyholders in alleged overcharges.
Guy Carpenter Update on Terror Insurance Market Examines Global Trends and Developments
A report on the global terror insurance market, published today by Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC, finds that governments are becoming increasingly involved in the development of insurance programs focusing on terror coverage and terror pools, though a number of nations continue to offer no government support at all.
To help make vehicle and highway transportation safer and reduce fatalities, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers created IEEE 1616 in 2004, the first universal standard for motor vehicle event data recorders, much like those that monitor crashes on aircraft and trains. Now, as millions of vehicles include MVEDR memory modules, new work has begun on an amendment to help prevent data tampering, vehicle identification number theft, and odometer fraud.
Federal Reserve Board seeks nominations for appointments to Consumer Advisory Council
The Federal Reserve Board announced on Monday that it is seeking nominations for appointments to its Consumer Advisory Council.
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please send an e-mail to ccochran@cftlaw.com.