Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Monday, May 18
May 18, 2009
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Legislation could mean big changes to insurance in Florida
Proposals would allow private firms and state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp. to raise rates
Maybe Don Brown’s hollering in the wilderness was heard in Tallahassee after all: Two bills recently passed by the Florida Legislature that could have a both immediate and future impact on the state’s approach to property insurance are headed to Gov. Charlie Crist’s desk for his signature.
Protectingamerica.org: Why we need a federal plan for insurance
Florida’s homeowners would save an estimated $4.1 billion on their annual homeowners’ insurance bills if the Congress were to enact legislation endorsed by the state’s leading policymakers and embraced by President Barack Obama.
Editorial: Veto would help protect workers
If Gov. Charlie Crist wants to look out for Florida workers, he should veto a bill that would make it harder for them to hire a lawyer if they are denied compensation for a workplace injury.
Bogus contractor pleads in Hurricane Wilma scam
Maureen Reed never thought twice about pursuing what would become a three-year battle against a bogus contractor who ripped her off after Hurricane Wilma.
Column: WellCare defrauds Florida, but keeps its business
Q. Say, wasn’t there something in the news recently about WellCare, that big outfit in Tampa?
With a recession driving up the number of uninsured and plenty of rumblings about healthcare reform on the horizon, the health insurance field presents plenty of challenges for people like Penny Shaffer.
State moves to shut down provider of care to disabled
Angels of America operator, pointing to good reviews, questions if action based on company’s performance; 2 of her family members recently criminally charged.
The state agency responsible for overseeing care to the developmentally disabled is seeking to terminate its relationship with one Ocala area provider, potentially leaving dozens of medically needy individuals in the lurch until they can be placed in replacement homes.
Attorney General Bill McCollum enters governor’s race
Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum launched his bid for governor in his hometown of Orlando on Monday, pledging his bid to keep the seat in Republican hands would be centered on kitchen-table concerns, the environment and inclusion.
U.S. Senate underdog Marco Rubio not shying from tough fight
What goes through Marco Rubio’s mind in the dark of night?
Race for governor seen as a toss-up
Democrats are giddy over the coming race between Alex Sink and Republican Bill McCollum, their best shot in a decade at winning the governorship and ceasing to be an irrelevant minority in Florida government.
Florida Senate President Atwater to run for CFO
Senate President Jeff Atwater will run for Chief Financial Officer, and a political source close to Atwater said the announcement will be made on Tuesday.
Tom Gallagher, former rival of Gov. Charlie Crist, may run for Florida CFO
Republican Tom Gallagher, one of Florida’s most durable politicians, said Friday that he is weighing a comeback, eyeing the chief financial officer post being vacated next year by Democrat Alex Sink.
South Florida legislators may be in running for state’s chief financial officer, attorney general
When the four-member state Cabinet meets to set state policy, one geographic area is noticeably absent: South Florida.
Political races get hot and crowded
Florida’s 2010 political campaigns are shaping up as the most fiercely competitive races in four decades.
Florida‘s new gambling landscape
Florida politicians have haggled over how much gambling to allow for nearly 20 years.
Editorial: Leaders and letdowns in the Florida House
It might come as a shock to those who didn’t closely follow this year’s Florida Legislature, but to those who tracked the session, our rankings – dropping a powerful House member from first in 2008 to about worst in 2009, and lifting another scraping the bottom of the barrel last year to lofty heights this year – should surprise no one.
Would-be U.S. Senate candidate Kendrick Meek brings petitions to Fort Myers
Florida has never had a U.S. Senate candidate make the ballot by petition.
First Haitian-American may clinch seat of Florida’s 17th district in U.S. House
Haitian-American political activists believe they are on the verge of electing the first Haitian-American to Congress in Florida’s Miami-based 17th District, which is home to the highest concentration of Haitians in the nation.
GOP vice chair, 24, vies for House
Tyler Sirois, a former legislative aide to state Rep. Bob Allen and Brevard County Commissioner Chuck Nelson, is the first candidate to file paperwork in the 2010 race for the District 29 House seat.
State Sen. King diagnosed with cancer
State Sen. Jim King, a former Senate president and fixture in the Capitol for more than two decades, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a spokeswoman said Saturday.
Cat derivatives surge ahead of storm season
Demand for disaster derivatives is surging as insurers seek alternatives to scarce reinsurance and expensive catastrophe bonds, with the forthcoming North Atlantic hurricane season likely to give a further boost.
Report Analyzes Threat to U.S. Coastlines
Lloyd’s of London has issued a summary of a report – “Resilient Coasts: a Blueprint for Action” – originally prepared by the Heinz Center and Ceres, which analyzes the threat to U.S. coastlines from a combination of increasingly violent weather events, triggered by climate change, and the increasing occupation of low lying areas.
Most Katrina Deaths a Direct Result of Flooding, Study Finds
A new study has found that 67 percent of the fatalities in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005 resulted from direct impacts of the flooding that occurred when the levees collapsed, according to a report on Newswise.com.
AAIS Filing New Forms, Loss Costs for Personal Inland Marine Insurance
New policy forms and loss costs will be available early next year to insurers writing inland marine property coverage for certain types of vehicles, and for boats and motors.
Floods, fires seen testing EU climate response
Flash floods, wildfires and heat waves brought on by climate change could test Europe’s ability to insure against and respond to natural disasters, a new report warns.
P-C Insurance Agents Battle Public Health Care Reform Option
Lobbyists for property and casualty insurance agents have elevated health care reform to the top of their political agenda.
Boston-area woman sought in EPA manhunt; bogus asbestos removal classes put thousands at risk
Days before she was to be sentenced for one of the country’s most egregious environmental crimes, North Andover resident Albania Deleon begged for the court’s mercy.
Blue Shield health insurance rescission case to go to trial in California
The practice of canceling medical coverage after policyholders have become sick or injured has cost insurers millions of dollars in fines and settlements; now, for the first time, a jury will weigh whether an insurer owes anything to a canceled policyholder.
Zurich Entering RRG, Self-Insurance Markets
Property and casualty insurer Zurich said it is entering the risk retention group and self-insurance groups markets.
Some Insurers, Including Allstate, May Not Need Federal Funds
Government approval for billions of dollars in taxpayer bailout funds for life insurers is dividing the industry into haves and have-nots, with Ameriprise Financial and possibly others rejecting the government’s helping hand.
Scientist says climate change isn’t fueling hurricanes
Earth is warming, but not fueling the increase in Atlantic hurricanes this decade, according to new research by a top federal scientist, hurricane specialist Chris Landsea, with the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
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