Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Monday, October 13

Oct 13, 2008

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No big cut in insurance rates

Shirley Malins was surprised, disappointed and a bit frustrated last April when she got the renewal notice for her homeowners insurance.

Insurer’s changeover leads to questions

Florida Health Care members unsure about move from nonprofit to for-profit

The impending sale of the company that insures 10 percent of the area’s residents — the largest share of the local commercial insurance market — will transform nonprofit Florida Health Care Plans into a for-profit.

Insurance firms feel homeowners’ wrath

This will not surprise many premium-weary Floridians: Homeowners are not any happier with their insurance companies today than they were five years ago, says a new J.D. Power and Associates study.

Sting targets unlicensed contractors

Many of those arrested looked shocked when deputies told them they were being taken to the county jail on a felony charge of unlicensed contracting.

Brown & Brown buys Nashville agency

Brown & Brown Inc. said it has acquired the assets of Al Phillips Insurance Agency Inc.

A calm in the storm

These specialists clean up after disasters

Who wants to clean up the blood after police investigators leave a crime scene? When a broken toilet floods the bedroom rug, is everything ruined? Following a storm, how can flood victims decide if it’s safe to go home?

4,550 Appeal Benefit Cuts For Florida’s Disabled

More than three-fourths of the 7,500 developmentally disabled people scheduled to lose benefits this month have appealed the cuts, said a spokeswoman with the state Agency for Persons with Disabilities.

Florida Today Endorses Bill Posey

Space Coast voters will send a new representative to Congress on Nov. 4 to replace retiring GOP Rep. Dave Weldon at a time when the nation faces an economic crisis at home and remains mired in war overseas.

Hefty war chest for state senator

With a staggering $2.5 million campaign account, state Sen. Jeff Atwater can thank donors from more than 40 states, close to 600 cities and many of the industries that routinely do business in Tallahassee.

Convicted felons remain on voter rolls

A newspaper investigation has revealed that more than 30,000 Florida felons who by law should have been stripped of their right to vote remain registered to cast ballots in this presidential battleground state.

EDITORIAL: Now’s not the time for state regulators to wimp out on renewable energy

You can’t accuse the state’s Public Service Commission of being too ambitious.

But you could accuse the regulatory agency of being a bureaucratic wimp.

Governor Crist Tours St. Petersburg Businesses

As part of his ongoing focus on local businesses and strengthening the economy, Governor Charlie Crist today visited St. Petersburg business Valpak Direct Marketing Systems Inc. and Techno-Solis, a manufacturer of solar pool heating panels . . . With an international distribution, Techno-Solis panels withstand freezing temperatures, blistering heat and hurricane force winds.

AFSCME prepares for coming storm

Representatives of state employees put forth some interesting ideas in their opening bargaining session with the state last week.

CFO Sink Promotes Transparency in Contracting With Open Access to Agency Contracts

CFO Sink’s contracting site is first in state government to feature original contracts online

Continuing her efforts to increase accountability over government contracting, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink has blazed a new path in providing open access to agency contracts online.

NAIC To Examine Insurers’ Securities Lending

Text Insurance regulators will be looking into the practice of insurers lending securities to third parties, said New York Insurance Department spokesman David Neustadt.

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