Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Thursday, September 3
Sep 3, 2009
To view a complete story, click on a headline below:
Above: Workers from L.R.E. Ground Services Inc. work on stabilizing a sinkhole that opened up Wednesday in Hudson, Florida
Column: Floridians are not safe from higher premiums
A draft Federal Emergency Management Act map for Collier County was pulled from the shadows to the forefront of county government at a public meeting last week.
Fla. Lt. Gov. Kottkamp sues over Chinese drywall
Florida’s lieutenant governor is now among the hundreds of homeowners who have sued because of alleged defective Chinese drywall.
Bankers Warranty Group to pay settlement
Bankers Warranty Group Inc. has paid Business Software Alliance $70,000 to settle claims it was using unlicensed software on its company’s computers.
Sinkhole opens in front yard of Hudson townhome
Bill McCauley was washing his car Wednesday evening when he heard a rumbling – then a loud splash.
Fort Myers business claims hurricane guide took money, didn’t publish ads
Amy Hawkins thought buying advertising space in a hurricane guide would be a good way to promote her construction business.
Florida Attorney General Announces Funding for Medicaid Fraud Informant Reward Program
Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that a new Medicaid fraud informant program, created by statute, will receive $1 million from a settlement announced yesterday with Pfizer, Inc.
Critics: Florida health plan no better than private
At the state and local level, plans have been created to deal with the underinsured and the uninsured — although some have many of the same flaws criticized in private health insurance plans.
Florida Supreme Court reviews access to records
The Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday heard arguments over new rules that will control public access to records ranging from criminal trials to divorce cases.
Pari-mutuels will fight Seminole gambling deal
Lobbyists for the state’s 27 dog and horse tracks and jai-alai frontons say the pact will put them out of business
Florida’s pari-mutuel gambling industry has come out strongly against the retooled Seminole gambling pact signed by Gov. Charlie Crist, predicting the deal would mean financial ruin for tracks and jai-alai frontons.
Lawmakers wary about oil drilling talks in special session
Gov. Charlie Crist is fueling the hopes of groups that want to open Florida waters to offshore drilling while getting the state potentially billions of dollars from oil companies.
Ray Sansom appears in court seeking dismissal of case
State Rep. Ray Sansom, Jay Odom and Bob Richburg — the protagonists of a political scandal involving a $6 million taxpayer-funded building in Destin — no longer appear to fight the idea that Odom planned to store private aircraft there.
Public Service Commission lobbyist flagged for ‘poor judgment’
As state police investigate the Public Service Commission for possible ethics violations, an inspector general found Wednesday that the agency’s lobbyist used ”poor judgment” and may have violated rules by attending a party at the home of a Florida Power & Light executive during a pending rate case.
Marco Rubio Criticizes Governor
If Marco Rubio’s appearance in Lakeland on Wednesday is any indication of his support in his campaign for the U.S. Senate then Gov. Charlie Crist had better take notice.
Blog: Dem state Fla. House candidate is registered Republican; plans to switch
Gary J. Lew, a college student and manager of a vitamin store at a holistic health center, filed as a Democrat back in January for the state House District 83 seat that’s up for grabs in 2010.
Sink cuts wireless ties to save taxpayer dollars
These days, Florida’s chief financial officer is cutting corners wherever she can.
Judge Says Rating Agencies Not Shielded by Free Speech Defense
Credit rating agencies may find it harder to argue that their opinions deserve free speech protection after a judge rejected efforts by Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s to dismiss a fraud lawsuit.
Louisiana Commissioner: Don’t Raise Taxes on Reinsurance Companies
Now that the hurricane season is well underway, Louisianans remember when Katrina came ashore, late in August 2005, with a storm surge that eventually flooded New Orleans and leveled many Gulf Coast towns, costing more than 1,500 lives and causing more than $25 billion in damage in our state alone.
Fitch retains negative outlook on reinsurance sector
Fitch Ratings’ outlook on the global reinsurance sector remains negative because of concern about reinsurers’ ability to replenish capital if they suffer large catastrophe losses in the current environment, the rating agency said in a report issued Wednesday.
Large Cats Could Drain Global Capital, Fitch Says
Global reinsurers may struggle to replenish capital if they suffer large catastrophe losses in the current financial market and economic environment, according to Fitch Ratings’ “2009-2010 Global Reinsurance Review and Outlook,” published today.
Premiums Flat For Off-Shore Energy Sector
Offshore energy business insurance premiums are expected to remain flat for October renewals, depending on location, loss history and limit sought, according to Chicago-based insurance broker Aon.
Lawsuit: Flood insurance neglects species threats
An environmental group is trying to slow development near ecologically fragile dry washes and desert riverbeds in Arizona by targeting the federal agency that provides the flood insurance essential to building there.
Marsh licensed to provide broking, advisory services in Egypt
Marsh Inc. has been granted a license by the Egyptian Financial Services Authority to provide full insurance broking and advisory services in Egypt.
Guy Carpenter Wins “Reinsurance Broking Team of the Year” at The Review Worldwide Reinsurance Awards
Credit, Bond and Political Risk Team Honored; Third Consecutive Year Guy Carpenter Has Won Accolade
Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC’s Credit, Bond and Political Risk Team won the ‘Reinsurance Broking Team of the Year’ award at The Review magazine’s Worldwide Reinsurance Awards 2009, presented last night at The Dorchester Hotel in London
Weathering Hurricane Season Without Devastating Property Insurance
As Hurricane Jimena makes landfall in Mexico, signaling the advent of hurricane season, a new analysis of property insurance trends sheds light on the effects of regulation in the aftermath of natural disasters.
As the first storms of the Atlantic hurricane season began to swirl toward the Caribbean last month, I was booking a last-minute getaway to my favorite beach in Puerto Rico.
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please send an e-mail to ccochran@cftlaw.com