Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Tuesday, July 24

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Legislative leaders announce special session on budget cuts

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Legislative leaders Tuesday said they will call a special session in September to cut Florida’s new $71.5 billion budget because of declining tax collections blamed on a slowdown in the state’s economy.

 

Lawmakers announce budget-cutting session

TALLAHASSEE — With the state’s economy sagging, Florida legislators just announced they’ll return to the Capitol this fall to slash up to $1 billion from the state budget, a move that could force them to cut money for schools or health care.

 

Congressional Hearing Scheduled This Week on Insurer Use of Credit Scoring

Congress is poised to hold a public hearing on the use of credit scores by insurers in pricing.

 

Florida Regulator, Insurers Clash On Home Rates

Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty’s announcement yesterday, setting up a battle with home insurers over rate requests, left out key facts about the marketplace, an industry spokesman said today. 

 

Fla. insurance commmissioner vows to get rate cuts

Pointing to nearly three dozen rate hike requests from home insurers, Florida’s top insurance regulator said he was ”resolved” to provide policyholders with the rate cuts intended by a new law passed during January’s special legislative session.

 

Insurers Spend Big In Ballot Battle Over Bad Faith

Insurers and other businesses are spending millions on a referendum to overturn a new Washington law that eases requirements for filing bad faith actions against carriers, a trade group representative said today.

 

Va. Enacted Bad-Driver Fees Despite Red Flags

RICHMOND, July 23 — Virginia lawmakers imposed steep new fees on bad drivers this year despite warning signs from states with similar programs that they cause a surge in unlicensed motorists and have crippling effects on the poor.

 

Groups Demand New U.S. Credit Score Study

WASHINGTON—A consortium of consumer groups called on Congress today to reject the Federal Trade Commission’s recently completed study on credit scoring and order the agency to conduct “an objective, independent study.”

 

Lawmakers Act, Urging Open-Door NAIC Sessions

State insurance legislators have passed a resolution that continues their push to open the locked-door sessions of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

 

$3B Insured Loss Seen For U.K. Floods

Risk Management Solutions modeling firm said it estimates the United Kingdom’s floods in late June cost over $1.5 billion in insured losses, and that the current flooding will be at least as costly.

 

FEMA reviewing policy on trailers

Days after the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s chief spokesman said concerns about formaldehyde would not stop it from selling or donating surplus disaster trailers, the agency said Tuesday that it is reviewing the policy.

 

Sharpton, Scott seek immigration reform

The Rev. Al Sharpton and Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott became unlikely allies Tuesday in their call to revive immigration legislation, in speeches before the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights organization. “Congress needs to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill now,” said Scott, who heads the world’s largest retailer.

 

Dade OK’s millions for port tunnel

Miami-Dade commissioners took a leap of faith into Biscayne Bay on Tuesday, ratifying the county’s $402.5 million share of a historic public-private partnership to build a $1 billion tunnel to the Port of Miami.

 

Poll: More coastal residents would not evacuate for hurricane

MIAMI — About one in three people in Southern coastal areas said they would ignore government hurricane evacuation orders, up from about one in four last year, according to a poll released Tuesday.

 

Study: Workers’ Comp Losses Growing Despite Claims Frequency Fall

Strong pricing and benefits from state workers’ compensation law reforms have masked an increase in workers’ compensation accident-year losses that could curtail the recovery now that the market is softening, according to a new study by Conning Research and Consulting.

 

Court Strikes Down Longer Hours for Truckers

WASHINGTON, July 24—A federal appeals court on Tuesday struck down a Bush administration rule that loosened the work hours of truck drivers after concluding that officials had failed to justify the changes adequately.

 

Tampa Fire Rescue To Get New Thermal Cameras

TAMPA – Two insurance companies have boosted city firefighters’ ability to track hot spots and people trapped inside of burning buildings.

 

The people’s debate

The Average Joe puts the heat on a few candidates at a time.

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The snowman asked the candidates about global warming. The mother of a soldier asked if they were playing politics over Iraq. And the woman from Planned Parenthood asked whether the candidates had talked to their kids about sex.

 

Groups step up pressure as House begins moving on $100B SCHIP bill 

Lobbying, organizing and grassroots efforts to advance federal coverage of children’s healthcare are intensifying this week as the House begins the difficult task of moving a massive bill through a divided chamber.

 

N.H. Accepts Insurers Use of Credit to Price Auto Insurance

Most insurance companies doing business in New Hampshire base their customers’ insurance rates partly on their car loans, credit card balances and other debt.

 

Plans for heightened security on Fla. campuses fall victim to tight budget

In the days following the massacre at Virginia Tech, it seemed as though Florida’s colleges and universities would spare no expense to improve safety.

 

Gulf Power criticizes speaker for Climate-change remarks

The president of Panhandle utility Gulf Power is criticizing one of the keynote speakers at Gov. Charlie Crist’s climate-change summit in Miami this month for blasting her parent company.

 

Insurers Want to Know: Does Enterprise Risk Management Add Value?

Enterprise risk management will have to meet the expectations of corporate board members and deliver real value to firms if it is to flourish, attendees of the Casualty Actuarial Society meeting in Florida heard.

 

Proposal would track back-over accidents

A Boca Raton mother joins the national effort to mandate improved safety equipment.

BOCA RATON – When Arden Rosenfeld’s 2-year-old daughter was fatally struck by a neighbor’s car backing out of a driveway, she had no idea how common an accident it was. Neither did the federal agency that oversees traffic safety.