Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Thursday, November 6
Nov 6, 2008
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In a surprise move, the Town Council rejected a controversial accident response fee Wednesday night.
Workers compensation investigator accused of fraud
A state workers’ compensation investigator from Davie has been charged with shaking down a Miami-Dade pipe company.
Raymond James, other bay area stocks fall hard
As the markets tumbled Wednesday, one of the hardest-hit bay area companies was Raymond James Financial, which fell 15 percent, or $3.74 a share, to close at $20.65.
Republicans claim victory in maintaining State House majority
Critics can call it fuzzy math, but House Speaker Ray Sansom calls it victory.
Sansom expects Fla. budget deficit to grow
Incoming House Speaker Ray Sansom said Wednesday he expects Florida’s budget deficit to increase by another $700 million, but still believes a special legislative session won’t be needed to address the shortfall.
Florida’s election still isn’t quite over.
An estimated 17,000 provisional ballots have yet to be counted, elections officials said Wednesday, and the number is likely to climb above 20,000 as some larger counties like Miami-Dade and Broward complete their tallies.
Recounts may be needed in 2 Fla. legislative races
Former NFL player Peter Boulware was trailing by 440 votes in his first political race Wednesday, but he may get a recount.
Homeowners’ tax break may head for a recount
It won’t rivet the nation like hanging chads, but one Florida race could be headed for a recount: Amendment 3, a tax break for homeowners who make their homes more wind resistant or energy efficient.
Obama can quickly deliver on some Florida promises
With help from Democrats in Congress, President-elect Barack Obama will have the clout next year to deliver campaign promises to Florida voters who helped send him to the White House.
Florida voter turnout was third lowest in a presidential election since 1956
Election officials warned a massive flood of voters could overwhelm South Florida’s election employees this year. Long lines during early voting stoked the fears.
Florida goes blue, but will it last?
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama turned Florida a light shade of blue Tuesday night, becoming the first northern Democratic presidential nominee to carry the Sunshine State since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944.
Fla. Presidential Map: 2004 vs. 2008
Obama’s win included some dramatic results — nearly tying Duval and Sarasota — for instance, and boosting the Democrats margin by 85,000 votes in Orange and 91,000 in Miami-Dade. But just as important was cutting the Republican victory margins in almost every nook of the state (he shaved 9,200 votes off Bush’s margin in Collier, nearly 11,000 in Pasco, more than 16,000 in Escambia, and 6,300 in Lake County).
Next for Washington rookies-to-be: Staffs, committee posts
They figured out how to win. Now Central Florida’s three new members of Congress must find a way to govern — a process that started Wednesday for Alan Grayson, Suzanne Kosmas and Bill Posey.
Provisional ballots might trigger automatic recount in District 9 seat
Like referees studying every angle of a replay review in a disputed call, the Leon County canvassing board huddled Wednesday to start the laborious process of deciding who won Tallahassee’s main seat in the Florida House.
Putnam Poised To Leave GOP Leadership Role
U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam’s announcement early Wednesday that he will voluntarily step down from his House Republican leadership role represents a hiccup to what has, until now, been his swift political ascendancy in Washington.
AMENDMENT 2: Marriage defined; beliefs unclear
The passage of Amendment 2 says something about Florida voters. But what that is depends on whom you ask.
Fla. Supreme Court considering tax cap amendment
A day after election polls closed, the Florida Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday on what could be one of the hottest issues on the state 2010 ballot if justices approve it.
Fla. justices reviewing 2 redistricting amendments
The Florida Supreme Court is reviewing a pair of citizen initiatives designed to prevent gerrymandering of legislative and congressional districts.
Voters Shuffle Deck of State Legislatures; Both Parties Claim Gains
Voters on Tuesday left their mark on the state political landscape, shifting the partisan control of state government in a dozen states.
Supreme Court: Missouri Doesn’t Have to Refund $5.7 Million to Insurers
Missouri does not have to refund more than $5.7 million in taxes paid by eight insurance companies because the firms’ request to get their money back didn’t arrive on time.
PCI Forms Unit To Deal With Congress Regulatory Action
The chairman of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) said the group has formed a Financial Services Regulatory Reform Committee as part of its effort to avert federal regulation that is “duplicative and unnecessary.”
NCOIL Seeks Regulatory Fix Following Financial Meltdown
Lawmakers from across the country will converge at the National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) Annual Meeting in Florida later this month to consider ways to turn around an ailing economy and to map out a regulatory structure for the future.
AIG Failure Fuels Regulatory Turf War
The Federal Reserve’s $123 billion bailout of American International Group (AIG) has revived the long-running debate about whether state commissions should step aside and allow the federal government to regulate insurance companies.
Pattern of Greed 2007: How Insurance Companies Put Profits Over Policyholders
It has been two years since Hurricane Katrina swept across the Gulf Coast, leaving historic levels of death and destruction in its wake.
No Basis for High Insurance Rates: An Analysis of the 15 Largest Medical Malpractice Insurers
Medical malpractice insurers recently filed their financial statements for 2006, known as Annual Statements, with state insurance departments.
Cyber-insurance is an insurance product used to protect businesses from Internet-based risks, and more generally from risks relating to information technology infrastructure and activities.
GINA Op-Ed: How Lab Tests Add Value
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) provides Americans protection from health insurance and employment discrimination based on their personal genetic information.
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