Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Thursday, September 25
Sep 25, 2008
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Windstorm self-insurance trust at odds with state
Weary of hefty insurance rates, some local condominium associations saw the January emergence of the Palm Beach Windstorm Self Insurance Trust as overdue relief.
Scientists plan trial balloon for hurricane tracking
Federal scientists plan to launch batches of balloons next month – but it won’t be to add color to a party. Rather, it will be to improve hurricane track and intensity forecasts.
Studies: Florida must act to avoid catastrophic damage
The rising sea may not swallow Florida quite as quickly as experts previously predicted, suggests a Florida State University study released Wednesday.
One Month Remains To Register For FEMA AssistanceÂ
Florida homeowners, renters and businesses in the 19 disaster-declared counties who sustained damage or loss from Tropical Storm Fay have only one month left to apply for disaster assistance, said state and federal officials.
Job-based health insurance premiums rise 5 percent
Nationally, health insurance premiums for employees have risen 5 percent this year, according to a survey. Large employers in Florida, however, are reporting mixed results.
Premiums for job-based health insurance are up 5 percent in 2008 and have more than doubled since 1999, a growth rate that far outpaces inflation and the increase in workers’ wages over the same period, according to an annual survey of employers.
EDITORIAL: To Cover Florida, verify
State should have independent eye on its health plans
While other states took bold steps to increase the number of people covered by health insurance, Florida fiddled at the margins of the problem. Even so, some of Florida’s proposed solutions may prove valuable — if they’re backed by data showing that health-insurance access has improved in the Sunshine State.
No speeches: Justice Kenneth Bell goes out quietly
Next Wednesday, Justice Kenneth Bell will step down from the Florida Supreme Court. On Thursday morning he’ll report to work at the Pensacola firm where he’ll return to private practice.
Inundated with voter applications, state seeks counties’ help
Overwhelmed county elections officials are getting a lot more work – from the state Division of Elections.
CANDIDATE ESSAY: Richard J. Jackson, House District 67
I am the Democratic candidate in state House District 67, running against Ron Reagan. While doing graduate work, I earned doctorates from the University of Idaho and Northern Illinois University. My wife of 43 years and I have five children and seven grandchildren.
Flier flap stokes Fla. Senate race
The District 27 state Senate race is getting personal.
With a complaint filed against Republican candidate Matt Caldwell over payment for campaign fliers, Caldwell’s camp is now blaming incumbent Democrat Dave Aronberg for stirring the controversy.
Rep. Connie Mack does not support bailout plan
U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV, R-Fort Myers, says he does not support the federal government’s $1 trillion bailout plan and said he favored market-based solutions to stimulate growth in the economy.
Rep. Brown-Waite wants to put brakes on bailout
U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite on Wednesday asked Congress to put the brakes on a proposed $700-billion bailout for the nation’s crippled financial system.
Miller, Boyd lambaste bailout plan
Local congressmen say the Bush administration waited too long to act and now wants to move too fast
U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller joined the entire Republican Party caucus Wednesday in rejecting the Bush administration’s bailout package to ease the country’s banking and financial crisis.
Floridians’ deduction on fed tax form stalls
The renewal of a significant tax break that has allowed Floridians to write off part of their state and local sales taxes stalled Wednesday in the House, where fiscally conservative Democrats want Congress to find a way to offset the cost of the tax cuts.
Water Congress to debate statewide controls
It may be a no-brainer for many of the delegates to a Florida Water Congress that begins today in Orlando that water conservation should be a part of the state’s plan to ensure future water supplies and protect the environment.
South Florida housing market won’t get quick fix from economic bailout
The proposed $700 billion banking bailout won’t offer a quick cure for South Florida’s housing slump, but it could help in a year or two if lenders loosen their purse strings.
Amendment promoted to aid marine businesses
Missy Timmins greeted visitors to Palm Beach County’s 10th Annual Marine Summit wearing a bright blue shirt emblazoned with the words “I boat. I vote.”
TEXAS: Big insurers don’t have to get permission to raise homeowner rates, legislative panel says
Big Texas insurers chalked up a victory Wednesday, when a legislative committee narrowly rejected a proposal to require that they get prior approval from the state before increasing homeowner rates for their customers.
Biden Hits McCain Over ‘Bermuda Loophole’ for U.S. Insurers
Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden said Republican John McCain protected offshore tax shelters worth billions of dollars to U.S. insurance giants.
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