Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Thursday, March 4
Mar 4, 2010
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Florida bill would allow easier climb for property-insurance rates
Florida lawmakers are again seeking to loosen rules on property insurers by allowing them to more quickly raise premiums to recoup the costs of buying “reinsurance” and other expenses.
Hillsborough County looking for way to help sinkhole victims
Homeowners with sinkholes caused by the January freeze might have more answers about property tax relief from county and state officials in the coming weeks.
Bill would block Florida from requiring fire sprinklers in new homes
A Florida House committee wants to extinguish a proposed rule that would require fire sprinklers in many newly constructed homes.
Florida no stranger to its share of minor earthquakes
Add one more unpredictable force of nature to the rogues’ gallery of hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, floods and sinkholes that have affected the Tampa Bay area. Earthquakes.
Obama: No extras for Florida Medicare recipients
Remember Florida’s cushion from Medicare Advantage cuts included in the Senate bill? It’s gone, says President Obama.
Florida bill protects ERs against lawsuits
Reopening a political battle about medical malpractice, Florida senators are considering a bill that would limit the liability of hospitals, doctors and other workers for emergency-room errors.
Florida’s Medicaid ‘Pilot’ scores up
Those who want to expand Medicaid’s “Pilot” program from its current five counties to 24 have new ammunition: performance data.
Miami-Dade County Home Health Agency Owner Arrested for Defrauding Medicaid out of More Than $76,000
Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that a Miami-Dade County man has been arrested for defrauding the Florida Medicaid Program out of more than $76,000.
Blog: Unemployment tax “fix” sweeps through legislature as lawmakers return to business
After the handshakes and hugs were over, the Florida legislature wasted no time in pushing through an unemployment tax hike “fix.”
Florida House Releases First Part of Spending Plan
House Speaker Larry Cretul released budget allocations today, pumping the largest share of taxpayer dollars into public schools this election year, pulling $600 million out of trust funds, and avoiding new taxes or fees.
Florida Senate Passes Ban On Gun Fund Raids
The Florida Senate has passed a bill that will force lawmakers to keep their hands off a trust fund that covers the costs of the state’s concealed weapons permitting program.
Florida House Committee Delays 911 Calls Bill
A House committee is delaying discussion of a bill that would dramatically limit public access to 911 emergency calls.
Florida Leadership Fund Bill Clears Hurdle
With House and Senate leaders behind the measure, legislation re-≠establishing campaign ‘leadership funds’ cleared its first hurdle Wednesday in a House committee.
Bill to Toughen Ethics Rules For Public Service Commission Passes in Florida Senate
An ethics bill aimed at eliminating private communications between state utility regulators and the utilities they oversee sailed through the Florida Senate on Wednesday.
Bill Filed by Paula Dockery Targets Open Florida Government, Records
Proposal, a major reform filed by Dockery and Ford, would streamline laws.
After years of almost annual legislative attempts to close parts of Florida’s open government laws, public records advocates have something to cheer about in a bill filed by state Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, and Rep. Clay Ford, R-Gulf Breeze.
Sink announces push to help Florida veterans with benefits
Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink unveiled an initiative Wednesday aimed at ensuring that the state’s 1.7 million veterans tap into all the benefits available to them.
Florida weighs collecting tax for Web sales
When’s the last time you mailed the state a check for the sales tax due on a purchase on Amazon.com or Overstock.com?
Election-law change would reopen spending, add full disclosure
Florida legislative leaders are proposing election-law changes that could unleash even more special-interest spending in state elections but require that the millions of dollars pumped into races be fully disclosed to the public.
Florida fighting to keep NASA jobs
Gov. Charlie Crist, Brevard County lawmakers, astronauts and industry executives spent Wednesday fighting an old cliche – “No bucks, no Buck Rogers.”
Blog: Florida class size heads to Senate floor
Over the objections of some Democratic lawmakers and education advocates, the Senate’s Ways and Means Committee just approved the proposed constitutional amendment to freeze class size counts at the schoolwide level, clearing the way for a floor vote soon.
Max Capital, Harbor Point Merger Creates $3 Billion Company
Two Bermuda-based companies, Max Capital Group and Harbor Point Limited, announced that they agreed to merge last night, creating a global insurance and reinsurance enterprise with total capital of $3 billion.
U.S. House passes agent/broker reform bill
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a bill that would streamline reciprocal licensing of insurance agents and brokers nationally.
State Farm to Offer Storm Mitigation Credits in Mississippi
State Farm will offer discounts in Mississippi beginning May 1 for homes and rental property strengthened against wind damage.
Blog: Insurers say stronger buildings will improve coastal insurance marketplace
Insurance industry officials renewed their calls for stronger building construction Tuesday, saying that reducing risk is one sure way to lower rates and increase the number of companies selling policies along the Gulf Coast.
Fired Ohio workers’ comp panel staff cries foul
After a sweeping scandal nearly five years ago that cost the state’s insurance fund for injured workers $300 million because of investments in Beanie Babies, rare coins and other risky assets, Ohio beefed up oversight and created a panel to help lawmakers look out for the health of the fund.
Chile Earthquake Rebuilding Costs Will Soar, RMS Says
Extended disruption of commerce and construction material shortages will inflate the multibillion-dollar cost of rebuilding Chile’s quake-damaged areas, said Risk Management Solutions.
Global Warming Litigation Just Getting Started; Costs Will Be Significant
Toward the end of 2009, it appeared that a number of issues with the possibility of creating significant political and social changes were on the verge of becoming law before stalling or imploding.
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