Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Thursday, April 24
Apr 24, 2008
To view a complete story, click on a headline below:
Â
FPL replacing poles to meet hurricane standards
Inviting journalists to a construction site near Memorial West Hospital in Pembroke Pines, Florida Power & Light on Thursday showed off its latest efforts to harden its system to protect it from hurricane force winds.
OP-ED: Insurer’s agents pushing Citizens
Every day, I get a phone call about hurricane insurance that goes exactly like this:
Bill seeks to clarify medical services pricing
Comparison shopping for a colonoscopy?
Autism coverage act passes in Senate
A wide-ranging bill that requires large insurance companies to provide coverage for treatment of autism won emotional passage by the full Senate on Wednesday, as supporters pledged to push the House to accept the Senate’s more comprehensive plan.
Bowing to pressure, House and Senate budget negotiators used $300 million from reserves Wednesday to erase sharp cuts planned for a pair of health programs serving 40,000 critically ill and elderly Floridians.
Rubio lashes out as stressful term winds down
As Marco Rubio’s time as House speaker dwindles, he finds himself double-teamed by the Senate and Gov. Charlie Crist.
Florida Legislature restores half the funding for popular Road Rangers
Legislators restore half the funding for safety program on state highways
The Road Rangers might be rescued after all.
Lobbyists and Tallahassee insiders help fill Senate candidate’s coffers
Chris Smith has amassed a campaign fund that dwarfs that of the other candidates seeking an open state Senate seat.
Court: Voters cannot rescind signatures
Once you sign a petition to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot, there’s no erasing your name, a state appeals court ruled Wednesday in a politically sensitive case that seems headed for the Florida Supreme Court.
$2-million set aside for Tampa Bay area transit planning
Florida lawmakers on Wednesday agreed to give $2-million to the agency trying to come up with regional transportation solutions in the Tampa Bay area.
Florida Forever successor planned
The state’s program for buying conservation land would continue for another decade under a bill passed by the Senate.
McCain says he would have responded differently to hurricane
John McCain toured still hurricane-damaged areas of New Orleans and declared that if the disaster had happened on his watch, he would have immediately landed his plane at the nearest Air Force base.
Senate expected to pass genetic discrimination bill
People seeking genetic testing to learn if they are predisposed to serious diseases would not have to fear losing their jobs or their health insurance under anti-discrimination legislation the Senate was to vote on Thursday.
Jeb Bush: No interest in VP slot, kill all the alligators
Former Florida governor skeptical humans cause global warming
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush says he is light green on the environment and is skeptical that humans are causing global warming.
New Research Center Targets Natural Disaster Property Losses
Insurers’ Group Aims to Strengthen Construction of Homes and Businesses
A new state-of-the-art applied research facility will use science and technology to expand capabilities to create more durable homes and businesses.
Hurricane Season 2008: GMAC Insurance Reveals Tips to Protect Assets if a Hurricane Hits
As hurricane season approaches, GMAC Insurance today revealed the top tips for drivers to keep themselves and their assets secure before a storm heads their way.
Property-casualty insurers are dropping their reserves in the face of losses and declining rates in an effort to keep their return on equity high, a financial analyst said.
Continued Softening Seen For U.S. Reinsurance Market
Rate reductions are expected to continue for U.S. reinsurance accounts with the midyear renewals unless catastrophe losses increase in the near term, a reinsurance brokerage said.
Fitch: Louisiana Citizens’ Ratings Remain on Rating Watch Negative
The ‘BBB’ Issuer Default Rating (IDR) of Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (LA Citizens) and the ‘BBB’ underlying ratings on LA Citizens’ $978.2 million assessment revenue bonds remain on Rating Watch Negative by Fitch Ratings.
Miss., La. Senators Hold Up Flood Program Bill
Senators from Mississippi and Louisiana are demanding major changes in the Senate version of legislation extending and reforming the National Flood Insurance Program before they allow the bill to reach the Senate floor for action.
S.C. Regulator Says Rating Agencies Pose A Problem
South Carolina’s insurance director yesterday told a conference arranged by a major insurance rating firm that rating agencies create big headaches for regulators.