Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Thursday, June 14
Jun 14, 2007
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Lawmakers approve property tax plan
TALLAHASSEE — Florida legislators Thursday night gave the final nod to a multi-billion-dollar property tax-cut package they hope will kick-start Florida’s sluggish real estate market and boost the state’s faltering economy.
OP-ED: Bureaucrats mar storm preparations
On the eve of what could be a disastrous hurricane season, a bureaucratic war has broken out which could undermine our nation’s disaster preparedness. Both the National Hurricane Center and the National Weather Service are part of a larger government agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But both have their own directors, their own staffs and their own budgets.
TALLAHASSEE – A law that requires railroads to post “no trespassing” signs before they can arrest people for trespassing will remain on the books after Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed a repeal Wednesday.
FBI Breaks Up Large East Coast Auto Theft Ring
The FBI said it has broken up an East Coast auto theft ring that retagged and sold hundreds of stolen vehicles.
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27 Arrested In Miami Staged Accident Ring
‘Operation TGIF’ uncovers insurers billed $300,000 in staged Friday accidents
MIAMI –Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink announced today the arrests of 27 people in an ongoing investigation into a staged accident ring that billed auto insurers more than $300,000 in fraudulent Personal Injury Protection (PIP) claims. The investigation was dubbed “Operation TGIF†because the staged accidents occurred on Fridays.
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Lawmaker threatens to remove Fed power
A key House lawmaker on Wednesday threatened to strip the Federal Reserve of its authority to write rules against abuses in the market for high-risk mortgages if the central bank did not act quickly to do so.
Judge Says Ex-CEO Can’t Countersue AIG Officials
The former chief executive of American International Group lost a bid to file claims against past and present company officials as part of a lawsuit originally filed against him, a judge ruled yesterday.
Florida Regulators, Industry At Odds On Scoring
Florida insurance regulators and industry representatives continue to spar over credit scoring rules aimed at quantifying the impact on groups based on race and income factors.
Nelson, Feeney disclose finances
Rep. Tom Feeney took a trip to China and has assets worth at least a half-million dollars, most of it locked up in property and retirement funds, according to his personal financial statement.
WASHINGTON — Insurers and Realtors disagreed Tuesday over whether Congress should require the National Flood Insurance Program to charge industry-calculated rates for vacation and secondary residences.
Having accepted tax reform is coming, government officials discuss what to do about it.
ORLANDO – As Florida lawmakers in Tallahassee moved Wednesday toward a broad overhaul of the state’s property tax system, local government leaders were some 230 miles away, plotting strategy and revenge.
Have an accident, get a bill
DAVIE · Passing through? Better drive carefully.
Davie may soon impose fees on motorists cited in traffic accidents on state highways and county roads. Proponents say the fee would help recoup the cost of the town’s police and fire services at a time municipalities are bracing for state-imposed tax cuts.
Homeowners pinched by preservation rules
NEW ORLEANS — Kelvin Hewitt began pounding nails into his 140-year-old home just weeks after it was battered by Hurricane Katrina.
OP-ED Protect insurance in Florida
End subsidies for coastal overdevelopment
The tiny South Florida town of Briny Breezes sits on just 600 feet of barrier-island sand fronting the Atlantic Ocean. Today it’s a quiet collection of single-story structures.
EDITORIAL: The Legislature at fault
Our position: Lawmakers should extend Florida’s no-fault auto-insurance law.
Once they reform property taxes, state lawmakers think their work’s done. But they’re wrong.
Insurance plan gets cool reaction
University system leaders weigh requirement for students
MIAMI · A proposal that would require Florida college students to carry health insurance received an unenthusiastic response from the university system’s policymaking board Wednesday.
Seven waste haulers lose certificates
SEMINOLE COUNTY — Seven waste haulers lost their certification to operate in Seminole County on Tuesday for failing to comply with insurance requirements.
State pulls surprise by suggesting revised school-grading system
TAMPA — The state’s attempt to repair an FCAT blunder took an unexpected turn Wednesday.
In a surprise move, the Florida Department of Education recommended changing the way it calculates annual A-to-F grades for public schools.
15,500 felons regain the right to vote
The state estimates 515,000 are eligible for automatic restoration under new rules.
TALLAHASSEE – More than 15, 500 released felons have had their voting rights automatically restored in the two months since the clemency board approved rules that allow the Parole Commission to give back those rights without a hearing.
Op-Ed Contributor: Losing Count
The Holocaust has always been marked by numbers. There was the numbering of arms in death camps and the staggering death toll where the words six million became both a body count and a synonym for an unspeakable crime.
In Health Care, Cost Isn’t Proof of High Quality
Stark evidence that high medical payments do not necessarily buy high-quality patient care is presented in a hospital study set for release today.