Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Thursday, October 30
Oct 30, 2008
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Citizens’ hurricane mitigation discounts help condo associations
Condominium and homeowners associations that have added storm shutters, reinforced doors or roofs and put in impact-resistant glass to make their buildings more storm-resistant can get a bigger break on their windstorm insurance.
Fla. workers comp rates cut; sixth time in 5 years
Florida workers compensation premiums, once among the nation’s highest, are dropping for a sixth straight time in the past five years. But they may be going up again in the future due to a state Supreme Court ruling.
Exposure to Florida Catastrophe Fund Triggers A.M. Best Review
A.M. Best Co. says based on the credit market contraction and the uncertainty regarding the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund’s ability to fund its claims-paying capacity, it placed several insurers’ ratings under review with negative implications.
Florida-based AmCOMP Gets Approval to Merge with Employers
North Palm Beach, Fla.-based AmCOMP Inc. received stockholder approval for Employers Holdings Inc. to acquire AmCOMP.
In Florida, banks look at options in bailout
At least seven of Florida’s regional banks will receive capital infusions from the federal government — money the Bush administration wants financial institutions to lend out but that may go instead to snap up weaker banks.
Fla. panel delays tougher auto emission standards
Bowing to the auto industry and other business interests, a state panel Wednesday delayed a vote on adopting California’s tough standards for car and light truck emissions.
Vegas in Florida, with deal or no deal
The endless electronic song of thousands of slot machines with names such as Red, White & Blue, I Dream of Jeannie and Double Diamond blend together into a single, compelling thrum.
Early voting could cause Democrats to lose lead
Gov. Charlie Crist is taking heat from fellow Republicans for a last-minute decision to extend early voting in Florida, but any Democratic advantage might not be as overwhelming as conventional wisdom suggests.
Republican stranglehold in three key South Florida congressional districts in jeopardy
Puerto Rican-born chef Julio Alicea, 63, used to be a Republican, voting in solidarity with the cause of Cuban exiles. Not this year.
Judge blocks Fla. ‘electioneering’ law
A federal judge on Wednesday blocked enforcement of a Florida law requiring groups to register with the state if they merely mention political issues or candidates in publications or other communications.
Election revolt over provisional ballots
After Florida’s 2000 election debacle, Congress thought it had found a way to avoid turning away voters whose qualifications were in question: allow them to cast a provisional ballot.
Dead, felons still registered to vote in Florida
Mattie Lee Blitch has been dead 23 years, but she’s still registered to vote in Palm Beach County.
Alan Grayson, candidate and attorney. gets sanction from judge; case thrown out
Congressional candidate Alan Grayson, an attorney who has built his Central Florida campaign on his fight against Iraq War contractors, has been sanctioned by a federal judge and had one of his cases thrown out.
Tri-Rail shouts ‘all aboard’ to biodiesel
Tri-Rail, among the fastest-growing commuter rail systems in the nation, now boasts it’s one of the greenest.
Wisconsin Dilweg: State Regulation Best for Agents, Consumers
From flooding and tornado catastrophes to the impact of the AIG bailout or the federal versus state regulation debate, Sean Dilweg has a lot on his plate as Wisconsin’s insurance commissioner.
Ill. Commissioner: Finance Mess Fault Of Fed Regulators
The chief insurance regulator of Illinois told a gathering of insurers here yesterday that the nation’s financial crisis was a failure of federal regulators, not U.S. corporate governance laws.
Rating Agencies Come Under Fire From Regulator
The Illinois state insurance regulator attacked rating agencies as having undue influence yesterday during a session at a national conference of insurance and reinsurance carriers.
NAIC Proposes Insurers Disclose Swaps, Other Derivatives
Insurers would be asked to disclose positions they hold in credit derivatives as part of their annual statement filings, under a proposal set to go before the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Statutory Accounting Principles Working Group.
Mitigating Tree Risks Can Save Insurers 100’s of Millions of Dollars Each Year
There are conservatively billions of large trees located on residential and commercial properties across the U.S. Although the statistics are limited, it is safe to assume that millions of these trees fail (fall or lose large limbs) each year, the vast majority during adverse weather events.
Life settlements, an industry that did not exist 10 years ago, has exploded into a booming billion-dollar industry and one of the fastest growing segments of the life insurance industry today. Experts estimated that the market reached approximately $15 billion in 2006 and predict that there still remains a significant room for long-term growth.
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