Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Tuesday, April 27
Apr 27, 2010
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Blog: Legislators close on measure to allow property insurance rate hikes
A House bill to allow property insurers to boost policyholders’ premiums by up to 20 percent probably won’t fly with the Senate given Gov. Charlie Crist’s threat to veto the idea. But there are several other parts of the sweeping bill, HB 447, and its Senate version, SB 2044, that could allow rate hikes and that are likely to clear both chambers.
Blog: Former Citizens policyholders may be headed back to state insurer
Thousands of former Citizens Property Insurance policyholders moved to private insurers may now end up back with the state insurer of last resort.
Federated National Insurance Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of 21st Century Holding Company, announced today that it has received approval from Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation for a premium rate increase for its homeowner’s business that was assumed from Citizens Property Insurance Corporation within the state of Florida.
Farmers Insurance Group® cooperated with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Department of Financial Services, and National Insurance Crime Bureau in an eight-month investigation involving staged vehicle crashes and insurance fraud in Hillsboro County.
Florida House passes bill backing health care lawsuit
The Florida House has passed a bill backing Attorney General Bill McCollum’s lawsuit challenging the federal health care overhaul.
Florida Senate passes bill tightening restrictions on pill mills
Convicted felons or bad doctors could no longer own pain clinics under a measure approved by the Senate on Monday to rein in “pill mill” operators that lawmakers say are little more than legalized drug dealers.
Bill would affect cancer cluster property values; Acreage officials, property appraiser unimpressed
A bill approved unanimously in the House on Monday would require state property appraisers to consider cancer clusters, like the one designated in the Acreage, when determining home value.
Miami Speech Pathologist Arrested for Defrauding Medicaid Out of More Than $1 Million
Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that a Miami-Dade County woman is in custody after she allegedly defrauded the Florida Medicaid program out of more than $1 million.
Malpractice: Numbers Fall in Florida
Lawsuits and insurance rates are down. Do tort law changes deserve the credit.
In the early 2000s, medical malpractice rates were rising by double digits, Florida had some of the highest litigation costs in the nation and some physicians were claiming that they couldn’t afford to practice in Florida anymore.
Medicaid: The Future for Florida
The federal government’s insurance program consumes a large portion of the state’s budget, but Florida has options for reining in costs.
Medicaid, which pays for healthcare for extremely low-income people, is funded by a combination of federal and state funds.
Florida House and Senate budget compromise comes together in a rush
State lawmakers reached a deal on a new budget shortly before midnight Monday after bargaining over everything from workers’ pay and benefits to health care appropriations.
Florida Gov. Crist to make Senate decision Thursday
Gov. Charlie Crist says he’s set Thursday as a personal deadline to make up his mind on whether to run for Senate as a Republican or an independent candidate.
U.S. Sen. Nelson requests Senate investigation into oil safety claims
Seizing on the oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, Sen. Bill Nelson asked Monday for a rare joint Senate committee investigation into safety claims made by the oil industry.
Florida Senate approves unemployment extension
About 42,000 out-of-work Floridians whose unemployment benefits have lapsed may be eligible for five additional weeks of payments.
Redistricting measure passes in Florida House, with Republican push
The Republican-controlled Legislature’s answer to a pair of citizen initiatives aimed at curtailing gerrymandering cleared the Florida House by a partisan vote Monday.
New report says Florida again top state for mortgage fraud
Florida once again was rated the top state for mortgage fraud, according to a report released Monday by the LexisNexis Mortgage Asset Research Institute.
Sting targets unlicensed contractors in Florida
Thirty adult unlicensed contractors and one minor have been arrested and another eight have warrants for their arrest as part of a six-month investigation involving the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, the Jacksonville’s Sheriff’s office and the State Attorney’s Office, according to announcement from the Sheriff’s Office.
Amendment targeting restrictions on guns in cars slipped into farm bill
Florida is ankle-deep in its latest gun-rights battle, but this time the fighting is being waged behind closed doors.
Florida Senate passes public corruption bill
A bill that has passed the Florida Senate targets corrupt public officials.
The bill (SB 902) passed Monday would introduce a list of new procedures for dealing with and prosecuting public servants accused of violating the public trust.
Ban on texting stalls in Florida House
The Florida Legislature has put the brakes on a proposal to ban texting while driving.
House and Senate eliminate statute of limitations on sex crimes against children
Michael Dolce took 20 years to tell his story. And by then it was too late.
Blog: Florida Public Service Commission “reform” bill clears the House
A measure to beef up ethics guidelines and require college degrees for the Public Service Commission cleared the Florida House Monday by a vote of 115 to 0.
Florida Legislators Put Renewable Energy Plan on Hold
Florida legislators had second thoughts Monday about a plan to let Florida’s four largest utility companies bypass the rate-setting process and raise customers’ electric rates by $772 million for renewable energy projects by 2013.
Candidates begin signing up for election season in Florida
The official starting gun of Florida’s 2010 political campaigns sounded, and 16 members of Congress signed up for re-election Monday – but the two contenders everyone has been talking about for months were biding their time.
U.S. Rep. Ron Klein faces tough re-election challenge in South Forida
Republican Allen West seeks to oust Democrat from Congress
Ron Klein was elected to Congress on the crest of an anti-incumbent wave that washed away dozens of congressmen and gave Democrats control of the House of Representatives.
Louisiana insurance penalty targeted: Policyholders now must pay to switch
Legislation that would bar insurance companies from assessing a penalty on policyholders who cancel their insurance before its expiration date has cleared a Senate committee and is now awaiting action by the full Senate.
Transocean Says Insurance Covers $560 Million Oil Rig Loss
Transocean Ltd. said Monday its insurance covers the total loss of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform and wreck removal after the rig that burned and sank off the Louisiana coast last week.
States Spar With Big Insurers Over Treasury Monitor Concept
State legislators and regulators are sparring with large insurance companies over whether Congress should create an office within the Treasury Department to monitor insurance activities.
A survey of risk managers on how climate change risk is perceived and dealt with by their businesses, released this morning, reveals the political and regulatory environments are top concerns among risk managers, survey sponsor Zurich Financial Services announced today.