Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Thursday, June 17
Jun 17, 2010
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Fla. Public Insurance Exposure Tops $2T
The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund and Florida Citizens Property Insurance Corp. have more than $2 trillion in total exposures, exceeding the exposures of eight other similar state programs combined, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office.
Jury mulls damages in Fla. Chinese drywall case
A jury in Florida is deliberating how much in damages to award in the nation’s first trial of a Chinese drywall lawsuit.
William Stander of PCIAA: Crist was wrong to veto property insurance bill
Florida’s property insurance system continues to confront the problem of a huge and growing financial risk that all residents face from the next storm.
Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty today announced the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has issued a Final Order to Cease and Desist to Infinity Surety of Saginaw, Texas, and its president, George D. Black for selling unauthorized surety insurance in Florida.
BP pushed to fill Florida tourism revenue gap
To make up for droves of tourists canceling beach reservations, Pensacola area politicians and tourism officials are leaning on BP to send its workers and subcontractors to the hotels and condominiums most impacted by the spill.
BP’s $25 million for research looks small to Florida scientists
BP decided on Wednesday to give $25 million to Gulf Coast researchers for oil spill studies, a fraction of the $500 million promised a month ago.
Feds ask judge to drop states’ health care overhaul suit filed by McCollum
The Justice Department has asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit by 20 states challenging President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul.
Fla. homeowners lose beach dispute at U.S. Supreme Court
The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Florida can undertake beach-widening projects without paying beachfront property owners who lose exclusive access to the water.
Trade surges 18% through South Florida ports
International trade through ports from Palm Beach to Key West is on pace to break new records in 2010
After a dismal 2009 — a year those in international business say they’d prefer to forget — trade through South Florida ports is showing double-digit growth in 2010 as the economies of Latin American trading partners revive.
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA: McCollum — Freeze Millage Rates
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum said Thursday he wants a two year freeze on local government property tax rates, saying homeowners and businesses can’t afford tax hikes in a weak economy and that cities and counties need to cut spending.
HUD awards $64.8M for Fla. public housing
U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan on Thursday awarded $64.8 million to public housing authorities in Florida to be used to make major capital improvements to their public housing units.
South Florida among nation’s areas hardest hit by recession
South Florida has suffered more during the recession than almost any other place in the country, according to a new study.
Editorial: Over 200 Adverse Possession Claims Recently Filed in Broward Alone
Florida has a new shady land deal for the unsuspecting
In a state known for shady land deals and dubious get-rich schemes, should anyone be surprised that a centuries-old legal doctrine has become the latest fraud in the housing crisis? From selling “valuable” swampland to claiming ownership on foreclosed property, how far has Florida really come?
GOP power broker Alan Mendelsohn faces more charges in corruption case
Federal prosecutors have added five criminal tax charges to the indictment of Dr. Alan Mendelsohn, a Broward County eye doctor and political power broker.
Blog: Game on — McCollum, Scott make it official
The battle is on – officially. The two combatants in the bloody Republican primary race for governor, businessman Rick Scott and Attorney General Bill McCollum, qualified to run for the office within 30 minutes of each other Thursday morning in the state capital.
CFO Sink makes her candidacy for governor official
Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink made it official Wednesday, filing papers with the Secretary of State to become an official Democratic candidate for governor.
2010 Florida campaigns may cost taxpayers more
Big spending by Scott could give gubernatorial rivals additional public funding
Millions of dollars have already been spent during Florida’s wild election season and tens of millions will likely be spent between now and November. But who could be footing a big part of the bill? Florida taxpayers.
Of U.S. Senate Candidates, Only Marco Rubio Still Supports Gulf Drilling
With globs of oil tarring the beaches of northwest Florida, three of the four major candidates running for the U.S. Senate are calling for a permanent ban on oil drilling off Florida’s Gulf Coast. Republican Marco Rubio is not.
Would-be governor Bud Chiles has string of Panhandle law suits and real estate flops
Independent gubernatorial candidate Lawton “Bud” Chiles III is a defendant in seven lawsuits stemming from a construction business currently in bankruptcy and a foreclosed condo development.
Blog: A Florida first — A Libertarian Party primary
Voters in Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties will see something on their Aug. 24 primary ballot that’s never before been seen in Florida, according to the Secretary of State’s office: a primary contest between two third-party candidates.
Blog: Thirty seven on list so far for second round of PSC applications
With one day left before the deadline for applications to fill the two expired terms for PSC Commissioners Nancy Argenziano and Nathan Skop, 37 people have applied — including several who applied in the first round.
State attorney calls Ray Sansom case one of ‘theft’
Former House Speaker Ray Sansom and two co-defendants returned to state court Wednesday hoping to persuade a judge to drop felony charges of grand theft and conspiracy to commit grand theft, and avoid the spectacle of a trial.
Exempt insurers from post-crisis crackdown, G20 urged
Leaders of the Group of 20 nations should consider exempting insurers from a regulatory clampdown aimed at preventing a repeat of the financial crisis, an insurance industry body said on Thursday.
Nation’s Flood Insurance Program Remains in Limbo
The U.S. Senate today voted against legislation that included a provision to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program.
S.C. Delays RRG Holding Company Registration Deadline
Risk retention groups (RRGs) have an extra 15 business days, until July 15, to comply with holding company requirements and register with the state, if necessary, according to the South Carolina Department of Insurance
South Carolina Regulators Approve 9.8% Cut in Workers’ Comp Rates
The South Carolina Department of Insurance has approved a filing that lowers workers’ compensation insurance rates for employers by an average 9.8% — the second year a decrease has been approved.
Group: Southwestern Illinois Levee Fixes May Cost $170M
A group scrambling to upgrade Mississippi River levees in southwestern Illinois before new floodplain maps potentially raise insurance costs says it can make the fixes for $160 million to $170 million – and pay for it with sales taxes and bonds.
Insurance an Issue as Mississippi City Seeks to Restore Taxi Service
Vicksburg officials hope to attract one or more taxi companies as the city prepares to relaunch local cab service. The city has been without taxi service for nearly a year.
SEC Said to Complete Probe of AIG and Executives
U.S. market regulators have closed an investigation of American International Group and some of its executives over the giant insurer’s near collapse in 2008 that led to a $182 billion government bailout, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday.
Survey: Strong Brand Leads List of Critical Marketing Factors for Agents
Carrier marketing support matters to independent agents – and having a strong carrier brand is considered especially important. High brand recognition matters more to agents handling personal lines, but is also important to those focused on commercial lines.
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