Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Thursday, July 23
Jul 23, 2009
To view a complete story, click on a headline below:
Boyd, Florida’s Blue Dog Democrats in the middle of health-care debate
Rep. Allen Boyd doesn’t understand the rush to overhaul the nation’s health-care system.
EDITORIAL: New policy for State Farm
It’s time for State Farm Florida to threaten less and negotiate more.
State fire marshal sink announces arson arrest following illegal “renovation” plan
Suspect allegedly set fire to his home to collect insurance money for renovation purposes
Florida CFO and State Fire Marshal Alex Sink today announced that a Hialeah man has been charged with first degree arson for intentionally setting fire to the kitchen of his home, causing over $100,000 in estimated damage, and submitting a false and fraudulent insurance claim.
Florida Climate Commish debates relevance amid energy efficiency discussion
An every five-year discussion of state energy efficiency standards devolved Wednesday into an frenetic debate about the effectiveness of the Florida Energy & Climate Commission.
Florida Homeowners with tainted drywall could get a tax deduction
Claiming the deduction won’t be simple. In a letter to Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, IRS counsel George Blaine said first the Environmental Protection Agency and Consumer Product Safety Commission will have to find that Chinese drywall is responsible for the problems homeowners are experiencing
Fla. hospital defends secretly deporting patient
All sides agree on one thing in the case of a South Florida hospital that secretly repatriated a seriously brain injured patient back to Guatemala.
Florida’s 2,915 swine flu cases, 22 deaths have health officials searching for answers
The Florida Department of Health reported to the CDC Wednesday that Florida now has 2,915 H1N1 flu cases and 22 deaths. It was a 33 percent increase in cases in one week.
BLOG: Florida Workers Pay Most in U.S. for Family Coverage
Florida workers contributed the most nationwide for a family health plan, $4,412, while workers in Indiana contributed the least ($2,472), according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Money pouring in to finance redistricting reform
Amendment would ban odd-shaped legislative and congressional districts
Money is pouring into an effort to address one of the thorniest issues in modern politics: how to curb politicians’ power to gerrymander their own political districts.
Out of the gate, Sink has fundraising edge
Republicans, beware. For the first time since the GOP won control of state government in the mid 1990s, the Democratic Party and its leading candidate for governor together raised more money than their Republican counterparts at the start of a gubernatorial election season.
Matt Gaetz to seek Sansom’s seat
Matt Gaetz has announced his candidacy for the District 4 seat in the Florida State House of Representatives.
Three jump into race for Evers’ seat
The race to replace state Rep. Greg Evers in the District 1 race has attracted three men new to politics in a field almost certain to grow.
Unnamed Tampa Public official faces federal corruption charge
During a public interview Wednesday for his office’s top job, a high-ranking federal prosecutor from Tampa said he is close to charging a public official with public corruption.
South Florida chosen as test site for gas-tax alternative
In the not-too-distant future, the government may be riding along with you, keeping tabs on when, where and how far you drive.
Slots, horses could mix at Miami International Airport
To get slots at the airport, there’s a chance Miami-Dade County would also have to run horse races there.
County administrators’ push to add slot machines to Miami International Airport could one day require turning an airport parking lot into a horse-racing track, state documents reveal.
Obama regulatory bill includes insurance office proposal
The Obama administration has sent Congress draft legislation that would create an Office of National Insurance within the Treasury Department.
SEC proposes board risk management disclosures
Public companies may soon have to disclose more information about their board’s risk management role and how compensation practices affect the company’s overall risk profile, potentially broadening the role of risk managers.
German legislation could spur new D&O liability coverage
Legislation that would require publicly traded companies in Germany to impose personal deductibles on directors and officers covered by liability insurance looks to spur new coverage and may prompt policyholders to ask for discounts on their D&O liability coverage, experts say.
GAO Reports Detail Problems With Katrina Disaster Response
As the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina nears, four new reports by Congress’ investigative arm have found a wide range of problems with the federal government’s handling of the storm’s aftermath.
Insurer-Owned Consulting Firm Often Cited in Health Debate
The political battle over health-care reform is waged largely with numbers, and few number-crunchers have shaped the debate as much as the Lewin Group, a consulting firm whose research has been widely cited by opponents of a public insurance option.
NCOIL TO CONGRESS: States Developing Credit Default Swap Framework
As Congress moves to revamp the derivatives market, leaders of the National Conference of Insurance Legislators apprised key U.S. House and Senate Committee Chairs this morning of NCOIL efforts to guard against credit default swap abuse.
Texas in clash with Greyhound over Ike bills
Greyhound Lines Inc. is still waiting for the state of Texas to pay it nearly $1 million for the bus company’s work evacuating people from hurricanes Ike and Gustav last year – even as another hurricane season is already under way.
A.M. Best’s “The Guide to Understanding Insurance Marketing” Now Available on Amazon
The newest guide from the A.M. Best Co., The Guide to Understanding Insurance Marketing, is now available on Amazon.com and other leading online book retailers.
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please send an e-mail to ccochran@cftlaw.com