Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Tuesday, November 11

Nov 11, 2008

 

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PODCAST:  U.S. Senator Chris Dodd on Military Members’ Life Insurance Benefits

During a Veteran’s Day podcast, U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Chairman Chris Dodd spoke about the Defense Authorization Act of 2008. 

 

Revenue forecast may drop $1 billion

Florida CFO calls for special session

The state budget director said Monday economists might reduce Florida’s already shrunken revenue projections by up to $1 billion next week.

 

Property insurers face low funding

Florida property insurers are hoping they won’t have to say “we told you so” before hurricane season ends officially Nov. 30.

 

Group Pushes Its Hurricane Solution

This year’s relatively tame hurricane season in Florida has not quelled the fears of a small group of people in St. Petersburg. For two years they have been sounding a wake-up call of impending financial disaster should a major storm hit Florida.  

 

Eli Lehrer:  AIG collapse shows Florida insurance regulators asleep at the wheel

The collapse of AIG makes it clear that national and international firms need a measure of national solvency regulation that state regulation cannot provide.

 

Taking a Different Route to Workers’ Compensation Coverage

Timing is everything. And now may be the perfect time to take a closer look at a different approach to workers’ compensation coverage – the alternative-risk market.

 

Florida Agencies Named Tops in Nation

Two old-line Florida insurance agencies have garnered top honors in the seventh annual National Underwriter Commercial Insurance Agency of the Year contest.

 

More than 41K claims filed to fix Fay damage

More than 41,000 claims were filed with Florida insurers on damages suffered from Tropical Storm Fay which swept across much of the state in August.

 

Older drivers’ death rate down since vision test requirement

A 4-year-old Florida law requiring that older drivers pass a vision test before getting a new driver’s license appears to help save lives.

 

Fla. Sen. seeks to expand Internet voting

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is trying to get federal funding for states and counties that replicate Okaloosa County’s overseas military and absentee Internet voting program.

 

Campaign 2010 gets under way

Sure, the 2008 elections only finished last week, but in Tallahassee, it’s not too early to start looking forward to 2010 — or even 2012.

 

Lawsuit Continues Over Florida Primary Date

The presidential election may be over, but a Democratic activist continued Monday to argue his case that Florida violated federal law when it moved up the primary date to Jan. 29.

 

Florida Supreme Court applicants are familiar faces

Eighteen lawyers applied to fill a pending vacancy on the Florida Supreme Court; most had applied before.

 

Changes sweeten Big Sugar land deal

Gov. Charlie Crist is expected to unveil a cheaper and simpler deal to purchase sugar lands necessary for Everglades restoration.

After five months of negotiations, the state has crafted a new ”lite” version of the Big Sugar buyout: same great tracts, less taxpayer money.

 

GRU’s new solar plan hailed as a bright idea

Big names in Florida’s solar energy industry met Monday morning at the Thomas Center to discuss a proposed incentive program from Gainesville Regional Utilities that is being touted as a revolutionary step in promoting renewable energy.

 

Many Insurance Dept. Web Sites Inadequate, Says CFA

A consumer study of the nation’s state insurance department Web sites has found 18 out of the 51 were “inadequate” when it came to providing the public with useful information.

 

OP-ED:  Managing and Implementing Salvage Processes

Today’s soft market, and resulting tighter margins, means it’s time to place renewed focus on improving claim efficiencies and implementing new processes that reduce costs and increase recoveries. However, finding time and resources to design and implement these can be difficult for insurers faced with competing initiatives and goals.

 

A Quiet Windfall For U.S. Banks

With Attention on Bailout Debate, Treasury Made Change to Tax Policy

The financial world was fixated on Capitol Hill as Congress battled over the Bush administration’s request for a $700 billion bailout of the banking industry. In the midst of this late-September drama, the Treasury Department issued a five-sentence notice that attracted almost no public attention.

 

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