Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Thursday, Nov. 8

Click on a headline to read the complete story:

 

Florida GOP penalized for early primary

The Republican National Committee followed its Democratic counterparts Thursday and slapped Florida with penalties for being the naughty boys of the presidential primary.

 

House Passes Disaster Insurance Bill

WASHINGTON — Disaster-prone states would get help confronting the crisis in available and affordable homeowner insurance under legislation passed Thursday by the House.

 

State finds few takers for $20M in storm grants

Just eight governments put dibs on $6.5-million. While local governments throughout Florida scramble for funds to meet taxpayer needs, there is $13.5-million in state money that nobody seems to want.

 
Louisiana files suit against insurers

Louisiana Attorney General Charles Foti is suing the state’s largest property insurance companies, accusing insurers of conspiring to limit payments to policyholders after hurricanes Katrina and Rita and engaging in an elaborate price-fixing scheme.

 

Crist gets $121 million Brazilian commitment

Gov. Charlie Crist continues his trade mission to Brazil today by flying down to Rio.
After hosting a morning “Business Opportunities in Florida” seminar in Sao Paulo, and an afternoon meeting with aircraft manufacturing executives, Crist heads to the resort town for a late dinner with business leaders. 
 
 

Crist walks out of Brazilian deal over Iran

When the choice was going green or going with red, white and blue, Gov. Charlie Crist chose the colors that never run.

 
Fla. insurers see claims decline, rates dip slightly

Florida’s largest medical malpractice insurance companies have generated higher profits in recent years, thanks to a decline in the number of medical malpractice claims. 

 

State Rep. Bob Allen’s lawyers say he sought bathroom, but not for sex

State Rep. Bob Allen wasn’t searching for sex when he entered a park bathroom five times in about an hour, he just needed to relieve himself after drinking too much iced tea, his attorney told jurors Wednesday during the first day of testimony in the legislator’s trial on a charge of solicitation for prostitution.

 
Vote is Monday on billing for crash response

An ordinance that would bill insurance companies for police and fire response to traffic accidents is set for final hearing Monday before the City Commission.

 

State to sue feds if Seminole Tribe is given slots

State Attorney General Bill McCollum said Wednesday that he will sue the federal government if it follows through with threats to give the Seminole Tribe Vegas-style slot machines if Gov. Charlie Crist doesn’t complete negotiations on a gambling agreement by next week.

 

Property tax vote is threshold’s big test

Few people appreciate the irony behind Florida’s Jan. 29 property tax amendment like Sen. Jim King of Jacksonville, who three years ago pushed to raise the approval threshold for constitutional amendments to a level that may now be too high for the very amendment King and fellow lawmakers want to pass.

 

Feds review Fla. voting laws

The U.S. Department of Justice is reviewing the latest changes to state election laws to make sure they don’t impede voter registration drives or violate the rights of minorities in Hillsborough and four other counties. 

 

Insurers accused of conspiracy

Louisiana Atty. Gen. Charles Foti sued the state’s largest property insurers Wednesday, accusing them of conspiring to limit payments to policyholders after hurricanes Katrina and Rita and engaging in an elaborate price-fixing scheme.

 

Hanover Insurance names new finance chief

Insurance holding company Hanover Insurance Group Inc. said today that it tapped Eugene M. Bullis as executive vice president and chief financial officer.

 

Bills tackle insurance rates in city

The 17-member committee is stalled on the ZIP code bill, with seven members in favor and nine votes needed to pass; the medical care bill will be presented today for the first time.

 
Water bill deserves a second chance

The U.S. Senate should follow the House’s lead and vote to override President Bush’s veto of the Water Resources Development Act, making the bill the first to withstand a veto during Mr. Bush’s presidency.

 

Medical bill errors increasingly common

Don’t assume your complicated medical bill is correct.  Errors on bills for doctors, medical tests or hospitals can result in overcharges that run from a few dollars to tens of thousands of dollars.

 

Scientists: Crist climate plan too little

Florida produces 1 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases and could have vast swaths of coastline swallowed by the sea, but the governor’s aggressive proposals to curb the ravages of global warming may be an expensive “drop in the bucket.”

 

Lawmakers to probe FAU severance

Florida lawmakers said Wednesday audit findings critical of FAU’s severance payment to its former chief fund-raiser will be reviewed by legislative committees, with one representative commenting that public school dollars should not be used to “buy silence.”

 

Commuter rail deal almost done

The final piece of the complex deal to bring commuter rail to Central Florida has been more difficult to fit in place than many initially realized.

 

Top bond insurer ratings vulnerable to cuts

Top ratings of bond insurers, including CIFG Guaranty and Financial Guaranty Insurance Co, may be vulnerable to rating cuts of three notches or more due to their capital adequacy levels, Fitch Ratings said on Thursday.