Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Tuesday, Nov. 20

Click on a headline to read the complete story:

Above:  Newly-elected State Representative Matt Hudson

 

Hudson wins to succeed former Rep. Davis in special election

The votes are in.  Republican Matt Hudson will succeed Rep. Mike Davis in the Florida House of Representatives.

 

Lawsuit seeks later Florida primary

A group of Democratic activists and a lone Republican asked a Leon County Circuit Court judge Tuesday to tell Florida to push back its early presidential primary one week.

 

Governor Issues Executive Order to Fill District 32 Seat (formerly held by Bob Allen)

Please see the attached Executive Order 07-243, regarding a special election to be held in House District 32 to fill the vacancy that now exists in the state House of Representatives.

 

Crist announces site rating state performance using govt. data

Citizens will find mostly high grades when they check how Florida is doing in public safety, education and four other areas on a new Web site that Gov. Charlie Crist announced Tuesday.

 

Bill would restore eligibility for grants

Thanks to rule changes instituted by the state Legislature last year, thousands of homeowners were dropped from a state program to fortify their homes against hurricanes.

 

Florida’s insurance fix needs fixing

Gov. Charlie Crist often goes overboard with his populist attacks on insurance companies, but there are cold hard numbers behind his overheated rhetoric that don’t add up.

 

45 state appointments still unfilled

Despite making more than 800 appointments during his first year in office, there are still dozens of positions that Gov. Charlie Crist has not yet filled across the state.

 

Filling Rep. Bob Allen’s seat could cost Orange, Brevard $200,000 each

It could cost taxpayers more than $400,000 to elect a replacement to serve the remainder of Rep. Bob Allen’s term in the Florida House.

 

Crist and House at legal odds over slots

The Florida House sued Gov. Charlie Crist on Monday, claiming he illegally signed a gambling agreement with the Seminole Indians.

 

Are They VP Material, Or Are They Not?

Gov. Charlie Crist, with a politician’s ability to evade interrogation, has been dodging one question more than any other lately: Could he be a candidate for vice president in 2008?

 

Sink: State treasury OK

The sub-prime loan industry collapse that is giving Wall Street the jitters poses only a minimal risk to the state’s $24 billion treasury, Chief Financial Officer Alex sink announced Monday.

 

Workforce Florida names new chief

The board of Workforce Florida Inc., the states employment policy group, has named Chris Hart, former senior vice president of external affairs and investor relations for Enterprise Florida Inc., as its new president and chief executive officer.

 

Insurance Compact Adopts ’08 Budget
 
The Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Commission adopted a $1.4 million 2008 budget by a vote of its full membership in a public teleconference yesterday.

 

Orlando’s fire service earns top rating

A flurry of fire-station construction and firefighter hiring helped Orlando achieve the highest possible ranking for its fire service, a distinction that city officials say could lower property-insurance bills for residents and businesses.

 

Mahoney, enthusiastic freshman, is GOP target in Congress

It’s 10:15 p.m., and U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney has been waiting an hour for the final vote of a long day in Congress.

 

AIG officials sued over subprime exposure

NEW YORK, Nov 20 (Reuters) – An American International Group Inc (AIG.N: Quote, Profile, Research) shareholder sued several of the company’s officials on Tuesday over the insurer’s exposure to the subprime mortgage crisis.

 

Op-Ed:  Congress must stop subsidizing Big Insurance and keep Medicare promises

The promise and hope of Medicare has always been that older Americans and the disabled would have high-quality, affordable health care coverage. But that promise is quickly eroding for Florida’s more than 2.8 million Medicare patients.

 

Groups Want Delay Of Shareholder Rule

WASHINGTON – Twelve big pension funds and a government workers’ union are making last-ditch efforts to persuade securities regulators not to adopt a controversial shareholder rights rule before month’s end.

 

Army Corps flip-flops on N.O. flood risk

NEW ORLEANS — You’re safer. Whoops, you’re not. Oh wait, you really are. That summarizes the roller coaster of flood-risk assessments the Army Corps of Engineers has given in the past week to residents of one of the New Orleans communities worst hit by Hurricane Katrina.

 

Fairfax Neighborhood Ineligible for Flood Funds

Flood control measures to protect the Huntington neighborhood near Alexandria that was devastated by high water from Cameron Run in June 2006 will not be eligible for funding through the , local and federal officials said yesterday.

 

Another administration advisor leaving her post

The Bush administration has lost another key figure, homeland-security advisor Fran Townsend. There was speculation she might join the Rudy Giuliani campaign.