Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Tuesday, May 25
May 25, 2010
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Citizens Insurance hands out another no-bid contract
Under public pressure, Citizens Property Insurance Corp. backed down late last year on plans to award a no-bid $60 million contract for managing home reinspections to an inexperienced Jacksonville company.
Blog: How prepared is Florida’s property insurance market for the Big One?
Florida’s property insurance market appears to be better prepared for hurricane season in some ways this year than it has been the past few years.
Blog: 37,400 Reasons Why I Hate Florida’s Property Insurance System
In theory, property insurance is supposed to offer you protection against losses from unforeseen events. You pay premiums over time, and even though you know you’re probably going to shell out more than you reap, it supposedly offers you peace of mind.
Barney Bishop: CAT Fund “good news” masks the need for a long-term solution
With the start of hurricane season around the corner, the announcement that the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (CAT Fund) can borrow $15.941 billion to supplement its own funds and meet its financial responsibilities appears to be good news. Unfortunately, it just masks the continuing underlying problems in Florida’s property insurance market.
Fort Lauderdale’s Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. Declares Ten Cent Cash Dividend
Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. announced today that its Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.10 per share on its common stock.
Editorial: Sneaky quick-fix for Workers’ Comp
Workers comp issue deserves open discussion
Back in 2003, the Legislature tamed soaring workers’ compensation rates in Florida, providing businesses some relief and more predictability for workers who are injured or made ill by job-related accidents or toxic environments.
Study: Millions of Medicaid Kids Don’t Get Exams in Florida and other states
Nearly three-fourths of children in 9 states not receiving all checkups
Almost three-quarters of children on Medicaid in nine states are not getting all of their legally required medical, vision and hearing examinations, including immunizations, according to a new government study.
Blog: Senator Gaetz trashes Crist at Cabinet meeting on oil leak response
GOP Senate leader Don Gaetz blasted Gov. Charlie Crist at this morning’s Cabinet meeting for failing to adequately respond to a possible economic crisis in the Panhandle caused by the thousands of barrels of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico each day.
Florida Property Tax Amendments Survive Another Court Challenge
A pair of state constitutional amendments that give tax breaks to primary homeowners survived another legal challenge Monday as the Florida Supreme Court refused to hear the case.
Crist weighs veto of $60.6 million in projects TaxWatch calls budget turkeys
As Gov. Charlie Crist reviews next year’s proposed $70.4 billion budget, he’ll have a list of candidates for his veto pen: the annual “turkey list” of projects that skirted normal budgeting rules.
Blog: Reps Diaz-Balart, Brown sue to block Fair Districts amendments
Democrat Corrine Brown of Jacksonville and Republican Mario Diaz-Balart of Miami, both U.S. reps., have filed suit to halt the redistricting Constitutional amendment placed on the ballot by the liberal-leaning Fair Districts Florida group. Allies of Fair Districts last week sued to block the Legislature’s response to their amendments.
Blog: Crist won’t criticize Obama on oil spill response
His colleague, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, has criticized the Obama administration for not acting more quickly to prevent oil from reaching his state’s shores. But Gov. Charlie Crist, an independent U.S. Senate candidate seeking Democratic support, declined to criticize the president Monday.
Oil spill protesters rally at Florida Capitol
With protesters outside the Capitol loudly demanding an end of offshore oil drilling, Gov. Charlie Crist had a “very productive” conversation Monday with President Obama and other Gulf Coast governors worried about the environmental and economic impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster.
Indecision hampers multimillion ad campaign for Florida
The $25 million BP promised for a marketing campaign to attract tourists to Florida is stuck in red tape at the governor’s office, lawmakers said Monday. The wait may be costing Northwest Florida millions of tourism dollars.
Crist Sued for Using Talking Heads Song
Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne is suing Florida Gov. Charlie Crist for using the band’s song “Road to Nowhere” in a campaign ad without permission, Bloomberg News reported.
Blog: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission call Chinese makers responsible for tainted drywall
Chinese manufacturers are responsible for the high-sulfide drywall that is causing corrosion problems and health complaints in thousands of homes in Florida and other states, U.S. consumer officials said on Tuesday.
Pollution exclusion in focus in Chinese drywall litigation
Various courts to decide if damage will be covered
As litigation involving Chinese drywall makes its way through the courts, the pollution exclusion in an insured’s policy will be in focus in the judicial crosshairs.
U.S. Senate Backs USAA Request For ‘Volcker Rule’ Exception
The Senate agreed Monday night to pursue a change in financial services legislation that would exempt insurers that own banks or thrifts from the “proprietary trading” restrictions imposed by the so-called “Volcker rule.” The narrow exemption from the rule contained in the instructions to conferees on the bill approved Monday night, will likely satisfy only property and casualty insurers providing limited investment services to their customers through an insured financial institution.
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