Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Tuesday, August 4
Aug 4, 2009
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Fla. House panel delays Sansom hearings
A special Florida House committee has delayed hearings on ethics allegations against former Speaker Ray Sansom until after his criminal trial.
Editorial: State faces insurance disaster
Florida heads once again into the high-risk hurricane months with too little property insurance coverage, the state needs action from its public officials. State Farm, with 770,000 property insurance policyholders, is still trying to exit the business in Florida.
U.S. Small Business Administration approves disaster loan programs for Volusia County
Governor Charlie Crist and Florida emergency management officials today announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved disaster loan funds for Volusia County residents and businesses in response to a tornado and severe storms that occurred on July 24, 2009. The SBA approval on Friday, July 31, came just three days after the initial request by the state of Florida on July 28.
Blog: Sign up now to talk with representatives of Citizens insurance in Fort Lauderdale on Aug. 31
Citizens Property Insurance Corp. representatives will be in Fort Lauderdale this month to answer policyholders’ questions. Rep. Evan Jenne, D-Dania Beach, said he’s holding the meeting because his office regularly fields property insurance questions.
Residents demand lower taxes on homes with Chinese drywall; only some homes received break
Although defective Chinese drywall is plaguing houses throughout Broward County, only homeowners in Parkland received a discount in their new property tax assessments.
Roll-a-way of North Florida Joins Roll-a-wayStorm & Security Shutters
Roll-a-way of North Florida, located in St. Augustine, Florida, has become the exclusive dealer for Roll-a-way(TM) storm and security products for northeast Florida.
New tests of a 30-story waterfront tower on South Flagler Drive show that the hurricane-damaged condo’s exterior does not have sufficient asbestos to require expensive containment measures that were holding up demolition.
State Sen. Ted Deutch — Banning texting while driving: Florida must act now
Last week’s news was been dominated by stories about research confirming that texting while driving makes our roads less safe and the drivers who do it more dangerous.
Florida CFO Alex Sink today urged Florida’s self-employed individuals to take advantage of the August open-enrollment period that allows single-group employers, sole proprietors, independent contractors and others to obtain health insurance or switch plans on a guaranteed-issue basis.
State dips into 50 water wells today in quest to allay contamination fears
State environmental officials will begin drawing water samples from about 50 wells in The Acreage today.
Voter turnout light so far for Pruitt Replacement Special Election
INDIAN RIVER SHORES Town resident Bev Harrison felt compelled to vote Tuesday in a special election in which many arent. In the first two hours after voting started at 7 a.m., 138 barrier island residents cast ballots at polls in the special election for state senator, District 28.
Blog: Ex-Notre Dame Coach Lou Holtz eyeing Central Florida congressional run
After earning nearly 250 wins on the college gridiron, former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz is eyeing another competition — as a candidate for Congress in Central Florida.
News Service of Florida: Democrat Makes Sansom a Factor In Cannon Race
Indicted former House Speaker Ray Sansom was dragged into a high-profile Central Florida state House race Monday, when Democratic rival Amy Mercado demanded that Speaker-designate Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, join her in calling on Sansom to quit.
Legislators to hold memorial for former Senate President Jim King today
A memorial service for former Senate President Jim King, a Jacksonville Republican, will be held today in the Florida House chambers at 2 p.m.
Colonial Bank debacle’s sad end is in sight
There are a thousand ways to identify sickly big banks.
Fla. Citrus Industry’s 7-Season Decline May Be Over
The Florida citrus industry’s long nightmare – a seven-season decline in U.S. orange juice sales – may be over, and not a moment too soon.
Orange County to refund millions in fees to developers
It wasn’t long ago that Transeastern Properties Inc. had future U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez on its lobbyist roster.
Bill seeks compensation for ‘White House Boys’
Victims of abuse at the Florida Reform School for Boys should be compensated for their injuries at the hands of school staff during the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s, a Tampa state senator said in a bill filed on Friday.
Ex-WorldCom exec out of prison, back in Boca Raton
Former WorldCom Chief Financial Officer Scott Sullivan quietly has returned to suburban Boca Raton after serving four years of a five-year prison sentence for his part in one of the nation’s biggest financial scandals.
East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, Awarded $3.8M in Recovery Grants
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal awarded six grants totaling $3,862,223 to East Feliciana Parish that will go towards hurricane recovery efforts, hazard mitigation and infrastructure improvements.
Kansas Insurance Commissioner Praeger to Campaign Again
Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger has confirmed that she will campaign for another term as the state’s top insurance regulator.
Delaware Seeks New Insurance Carriers
Delaware Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart says the state is working to attract new insurance carriers
Kentucky National Enters Tennessee P/C Insurance Market
Kentucky National Insurance Co., a Lexington-based property/ casualty insurance company, began offering insurance to customers in Tennessee June 1, 2009.
Unsafe Truck, Bus Operators Told to Shut Down Are Still on Roads
Hundreds of tractor-trailer and bus companies ordered to shut down because of federal safety violations ranging from suspended licenses to possible drug use have stayed on the road by using different names, investigators say.
Survey finds 53 percent of consumers who switched companies got better rates. Excellent homeowners insurance coverage can be costly and hard to get according to a Consumer Reports’ survey that asked 10,700 readers about their satisfaction with their homeowners insurance claims service in the last few years.
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