Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Tuesday, Feb. 5

Feb 5, 2008

 

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Day 1: A polite grilling for insurance execs

Insurance executives got a polite but chilly reception Monday when they testified under oath to a bi-partisan Senate committee.

Allstate blames low rates

As a special Senate committee began two days of hearings with state insurance officials and insurance company executives, Allstate Floridian’s chief executive explained that the company didn’t pass on savings from its reinsurance purchases directly to policyholders because Allstate’s rates already were inadequate.

EDITORIAL: Our view: Well done, please

State lawmakers should turn up heat while grilling insurance industry bosses today

How would you like your insurance company executive served?

EDITORIAL: Our position: Citizens should be willing to insure homes near bombing range

The people who live in the neighborhoods surrounding an old World War II bombing range have been failed by every level of their government.

National Study Focuses on Florida’s Insurance Crisis

Florida got an ‘F’ grade on a national insurance report card based on a study outlining the state’s insurance ills.

Insurer will hold forum in Bradenton

Got a gripe with Florida’s largest property insurer? Want to find out how to become a customer?

Fla. Banking and Insurance Chair to Seek Seat in Congress

Florida State. Sen. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, says he’s running for Congress.

Brown & Brown buys assets of Tampa agency

Brown & Brown Inc. has acquired Tampa’s MEW Custom Staffing LLC, doing business as Custom Outsourcing, for an undisclosed sum.

Homeowners learn how to reduce brush-fire risk

Firefighters blitzed several areas of northern Cape Coral – and even a patch of the city’s southwest section.

Florida attorney general reviewing cruise lines’ fuel surcharges

Florida’s attorney general is reviewing the legality of fuel surcharges that several cruise lines began collecting this month.

Business lobby’s cash, political tactics crushed Hometown Democracy slow-growth initiative

The fight over controlling Florida growth began as a war of ideas, pitting a wealthy environmental lawyer against businesses that want less control over development, not more.

Florida reps disappointed by Bush funding for projects

Local members of Congress said Monday they were disappointed with President Bush’s budget proposals for key South Florida projects.

‘Nature Coast’ project faces some opposition

State agencies, others worried about wetlands

State agencies and environmentalists are raising concerns about a revamped golf-course development proposal along a state aquatic preserve in Taylor County.

Bush asks $4.1 billion to better hurricane forecasts

President Bush on Monday requested $4.1 billion budget for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in hopes of improving hurricane forecasts and satellite technology.

Kennedy Space Center could face job cuts in Bush’s NASA budget proposal

NASA expects to shed as many as 1,000 workers from its space-shuttle program in 2009 — including an unspecified number at Kennedy Space Center — as part of a $17.6 billion budget outlined Monday by the White House.

Butterworth says DCF will fingerprint workers

As Central Florida police and state law enforcement agents continued the child-porn investigation into the former spokesman for the state’s child welfare agency, administrators announced a series of actions Monday to better vet job applicants.

Unclaimed millions from child support may go into state’s coffers

Shireena Adams has gotten $15 in child support over the 11 years she’s raised her granddaughter, creating more than a little financial strain.

Miss. Insurance Agent Sentenced to 30 Months in Kickback Scheme

Mississippi insurance agent Ken Nowlin has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in a kickback scheme involving Lafayette County’s health care coverage.

Miss. A.G.: State Farm Suit Based on ‘Lies, Speculation and Innuendo’

A lawsuit filed by State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. that accuses Attorney General Jim Hood of using the threat of criminal charges to force settlements in civil lawsuits is based on “lies, speculation, and innuendo,” Hood said in court papers.

Can PHRs actually make you healthier?

Just like with do-it-yourself taxes, a growing software industry lets patients create their own “personal health records.”

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