Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Tuesday, November 30
Nov 30, 2010
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Florida Insurers Sigh With Relief as Hurricane Season Ends
Stymied last session by an election-year veto, backers of proposals to bolster the property insurance market said Tuesday they’ll return with a similar package of changes, but likely won’t include sweeteners added in an unsuccessful attempt to earn Gov. Charlie Crist’s support.
Drought threatening Florida with possible wildfires
Florida survived the hurricane season unscathed but now faces another threat from Mother Nature: wildfires.
Blog: Despite more investigations, regulators deliver fewer refunds to insurance consumers
An annual Office of Insurance Regulation report released Monday shows that regulators delivered fewer consumer refunds in the past year and slapped insurers with fewer fines.
A beaming Governor-elect Rick Scott and his wife, Ann, showed up at the governor’s mansion on Monday night where they joined Gov. Charlie Crist and First Lady Carole Crist for a symbolic menorah lighting ceremony.
Hurricane Season Quiet, But Florida Windstorm Rates Will Rise Anyway
2010 among most active seasons on record
Nineteen named storms swirled all over the Atlantic in 2010 – 12 of them big enough to become hurricanes – but none seriously threatened Florida. Nevertheless, homeowners needn’t think their good fortune will translate into windstorm insurance savings.
Florida East coast residents on drywall fix program
A Chinese manufacturer has added a group of Homestead homeowners to a list of 300 eligible for a pilot program to have their defective drywall fixed.
Jacksonville will soon have two new Judges of Compensation Claims to welcome and we are saying goodbye to two excellent Judges who are returning to Tampa Bay and Orlando.
Editorial: Florida’s pension funds need attention
Stories of public pension crises are surfacing around the country. Every day seems to bring a new report about a public employee pension plan with annual costs that are no longer sustainable and unfunded liabilities that could take nearly a generation to pay off.
House Republicans close doors, have how-to session for new GOP legislators
Speaker Dean Cannon summoned all 80 Republican House colleagues to a closed, two-day training seminar Monday, with no notice beforehand to the media or public.
Blog: Huizenga to chair arm of Scott’s economic team
Gov.-elect Rick Scott on Monday named businessman H. Wayne Huizenga Jr. as chair of a new economic team.
Five attorneys competing to be Bondi’s statewide prosecutor
Five attorneys have applied to be Florida’s next statewide prosecutor, including a sitting Miami Dade County sitting judge and a former Miami Dade County judge.
Florida: 45 attorneys take seats in the 160-member Legislature, Three from Northeast Florida
The Florida Legislature will have 34 lawyers in the House and 11 in the Senate, just over 25 percent of each chamber, for the next two years, according to an informal survey by The Florida Bar.
Column: Senate President Mike Haridopolos chooses his gatekeepers
If Tallahassee wants to cut your taxes next spring, the bill first must pass three Senate committees. Impose more standardized tests in schools? Three committees. Target illegal immigrants? Three committees.
Tea Party activists have suggested that George LeMieux step down early to give incoming Sen.-elect Marco Rubio a greater chance at the perks of Senate seniority — choicer committee assignments, etc.
Sarasota’s Joe Gruters Bids for Republican Party of Florida Chair
Sarasota County Republican Chairman Joe Gruters announced his bid for state Republican Party chairman on Tuesday, with a goal of “building a permanent majority” for the GOP.
Cybersales Have Florida Democrat State Representative Vasilinda Insisting on Sales Taxes
With Florida facing a $2.5 billion budget gap, rising Internet sales over the Thanksgiving holiday renewed calls Monday for the state to join others looking to make it easier to collect sales taxes from out-of-state and mail-order merchants.
Tallahassee gets first glimpse inside mammoth District Court of Appeal
In 17 days, the moving trucks are set to pull up to the 1st District Court of Appeal in downtown and begin the move to its much-maligned, mammoth new home in southeast Tallahassee.
Average BP payouts higher locally
Rick Harper says a huge chunk went downstate, but it was significantly less money per tourism industry worker.
Most of the BP money allocated to Florida by Ken Feinberg’s claims facility has gone to counties outside the five in this region that actually saw oil.
Florida employers’ coverage costs may rise 6.1% – so workers will pay more
If you’ve checked out your company’s health-plan changes for 2011, you’ve probably seen higher co-payments, deductibles and premiums in the forecast.
Florida lawmakers propose surcharge on bottled water
Some lawmakers in Florida want to add a surcharge onto every bottle of water consumers buy.
‘Endangered’ wildlife category to be eliminated
New system to assess extinction risks adopted
After a decade of wrestling over the protected status of the manatee, Florida wildlife managers adopted a new system of assessing extinction risks last year that essentially put them out of the controversial, litigious business of declaring things “endangered.”
Blog: Former Florida House speaker Ray Sansom has new job, wants trial delayed
Ray Sansom, the indicted former speaker of the Florida House, has a new job as dean of students at Okaloosa Academy Charter School and has asked for his trial to be delayed until after the school year.
Colorado insurance commissioner steps down
Barbara Kelley, executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, announced Monday the departure of Marcy Morrison as Colorado insurance commissioner. Morrison was appointed to the post in 2007 by Gov. Bill Ritter.
New York Eases Some Workers’ Compensation Policy Rules
New York has eased some workers’ compensation insurance requirements for out-of-state businesses that do only occasional, non-construction work in the Empire State.
Auditor: Texas’ workers comp agency’s oversight faulted
Problems within Texas’ Division of Workers’ Compensation “significantly inhibit” its monitoring of health care that is provided to injured workers, according to a state auditor report.
State of Washington health insurance firms’ surpluses could affect rates under proposal
The state insurance commissioner wants to consider some companies’ cash surpluses before approving the rates they charge.
Alabama Gets Its Own Insurance Information Service
Many of Alabama’s personal and commercial lines insurers have established the Alabama Insurance Information Service, a not-for-profit, non-lobbying trade association to provide news and information to the public.
Will California Supreme Court say no to insurers?
Californians said “no” to the insurance industry twice this year. Now the state Supreme Court has to decide what to do about a lower court that betrayed the voters and said “yes.”
Wall Street Journal: Senate Widens Its Probe of Bare-Bones Health Plans
A congressional committee is widening its investigation of bare-bones health-insurance policies to encompass potentially hundreds of plans offered by low-wage employers.