Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Thursday, July 30
Jul 30, 2009
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Editorial: Our take of State Farm
Please. State Farm isn’t there. Not for homeowners who’ve had polices with them for years but never filed a claim. And not for those who’ve spent thousands of dollars to harden their homes against storms.
Editorial: Limit amnesty for enclosed Florida Keys stilt homes
Monroe County wants forgiveness from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But what has it done to deserve it? Not enough.
Letter to the Editor: Sinkhole plan didn’t work out
Did our elected officials really think mortgage companies would not catch on about the automatic dropping of sinkhole coverage?
Florida Workers’ Comp Claims Costs Grew in Years after Reform
Medical costs for workers’ compensation claims in Florida grew between 5 and 7 percent in 2005 and 2006, according to a new study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI).
Blog: Crist defends Cover Florida, distances himself from ‘Obama-care’
Gov. Charlie Crist indicated today that he does not support President Obama’s insistence on including a public health insurance option to compete with private plans and help cover the uninsured.
Editorial: Plot to block health care half-Bakered
State Sen. Carey Baker wants to make sure that Floridians don’t have too much access to health care.
Studies by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety show that cameras reduce red-light violations by 40 percent to 50 percent, and crashes by 25 percent to 30 percent.
Man sues Boca Raton’s ‘You Buy, You Die’ guy, says insurance policy value was hyped
Insurance mogul Barry Kaye, who has told Florida Atlantic University he will not fulfill his $16 million pledge to the school, is now facing a federal lawsuit in relation to his once mega-profitable life settlement business.
News Service of Florida: No texting while Driving Rep. Holder says
A push for legislation to place restrictions on drivers’ cell phone use has begun in Florida in the wake of a highly publicized report about the dangers of driving while talking or texting.
News Service of Florida: Sansom hearing set for Tuesday
The investigation into whether former House Speaker Ray Sansom inappropriately funneled money to a northwest Florida college heads to the committee room next week.
McCollum For Governor announces campaign leadership
Republican Bill McCollum announced his “Statewide Campaign Leadership Structure,” a lengthy list of elected Republicans from around the state, including potential rival Charles Bronson as the chairman.
Hillsborough County Commissioner may seek seat in state House
Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Brian Blair is looking to restart his political career with a run for a state House seat that will become vacant next year.
News Service of Florida: At Biofuel Summit, Bronson Says Oil Drilling Needed
Drilling for old-fashioned oil in near shore Florida waters should be part of the nation’s energy diet, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Bronson said Thursday at a conference about increasing the use of newer fuel types. Charlie Bronson said Thursday at a conference about increasing the use of newer fuel types.
Democrat Clifford L. Somers joins race for House District 57 seat
The first Democrat has entered the race for state House District 57, which covers Westchase, Town ‘N Country and South Tampa.
Blog: As the Seminole compact turns
With an Aug. 31 deadline looming, the Seminole tribe is seeking key concessions before it will sign a big-dollar gambling deal with the state, casting uncertainty over the late-hour negotiations.
Growth management: Those devilish details
It’s a bad sign when people are drawing extremely different views of a new state law.
Bulk purchases latest condo trend in Florida
They’re lurking, holding bags of cash and eyeing distressed condo markets.
New York City’s homeless relocated to Florida, other states
New York City is buying one-way plane tickets for homeless families to leave the city.
Fact Sheet: Administration’s Regulatory Reform Agenda Moves Forward
Credit Rating Agency Reform Legislation Sent to Capitol Hill
Continuing its push to establish new rules of the road and make the financial system more fair across the board, the Administration today delivered proposed legislation to Capitol Hill to increase transparency, tighten oversight, and reduce reliance on credit rating agencies.
Agency Bans on Las Vegas, Orlando Visits Kick Up a Storm
Have no fear, traveling bureaucrats: In between your off-site meetings packed with team-building exercises, guest speakers and meetings with management consultants, a key lawmaker is fighting to ensure you get to squeeze in a visit to Mickey Mouse or the craps table.
Editorial: Public Service Commission structure
While waiting in 2007 for her appointment to the Public Service Commission to be official, Nancy Argenziano was quoted saying, “Truthfully, I believe the people in this state have no trust in the Public Service Commission.”
Ban on importing pythons makes it through House Judiciary Committee
The House Judiciary Committee agreed to include a ban on importing Burmese and African rock pythons as Florida seeks to combat the growth of snakes in Everglades National Park.
Blog: Rep. Joe Gibbons, 60, a new dad — to twins
Congrats are due to state Rep. Joe Gibbons, D-Hallandale Beach, who recently became a new father — to twins.
Peterson, Frank Announce Derivatives Legislation Outline
House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank and House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson today released a concept paper that will guide the two committees as they develop legislation to regulate derivatives.
Insurance Insider: Law Lords rule in favour of reinsurers in historic ‘follow the settlement’ case
The UK’s highest court, the House of Lords, has ruled that London-based facultative reinsurers Wasa International Insurance Company (Wasa) and AGF Insurance Ltd are not obliged to follow a settlement made in a US court and pay out reinsurance against pollution clear-up costs incurred by Lexington Insurance Co for damage that occurred outside agreed policy periods.
U.S. House Bill Introduced To Limit Tax Bite On Small Insurers
Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the House that would limit the tax exposure of very small property and casualty insurance companies.
Insurers’ tax on pricey U.S. health plans gains
A plan to tax health insurance companies on high-end “Cadillac” insurance plans has picked up momentum in Congress as a way to help pay for a $1 trillion overhaul of U.S. health care, lawmakers said this week.
Assurant Specialty Property to Consolidate Insurance Service Centers
Assurant Specialty Property today announced plans to relocate certain hazard insurance servicing operations now performed at two California sites to its other service centers in Georgia, Ohio and South Carolina. The company said the consolidation would accommodate changes in the composition and location of its client base and better leverage its servicing assets.
U.S. may require anti-DWI vehicle locks
A national campaign against first-time drunken-driving offenders is gaining ground as states and the federal government weigh mandatory use of devices requiring violators to prove their sobriety before their engines start.
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