Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Tuesday, October 19

 

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Blog:  First Community Insurance wants 27 percent rate hike

First Community Insurance Co. plans to ask regulators Thursday for a 26.7 percent increase for policies that cover rented or vacation homes.

 

Allstate Settles Claims Software Complaint with Florida, Other States for $10M

Allstate has agreed to pay $10 million to 45 states in a regulatory settlement involving its use of claims handling software.

 

Political Pressure Mounts for Florida Citizens Property Insurance to Be ‘Last Resort’ Insurer Again

The role of Citizens Property Insurance Corp., which has changed from insurer of last resort following its creation in 2002 to competitor in the private market in 2007 thanks to political actions, may change yet again when Florida voters elect a new governor.

 

Florida’s Brown & Brown posts 3Q gains

Brown & Brown Inc. reported net income of $44.3 million, or 31 cents a share, for the third quarter of 2010, compared with net income of $41 million, or 29 cents a share, in the third quarter of 2009.

 

News Release:  Florida Office of Insurance Regulation Receives Esprit de Corps Award

Florida Staff Lauded for Regulatory Excellence

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners today awarded its Esprit de Corps Award to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.

 

Report:  Florida nursing shortage will grow 

New projections from the Florida Center for Nursing show that the implementation of health care reform, along with a slowly recovering economy, may cause the nursing shortage to grow.

 

House Speaker Designate Cannon fires letter to Crist over federal health care law

Rep. Dean Cannon of Winter Park and the Republican designate to be the next House speaker in November, has sent out this letter to state agency heads and Cabinet officials.

 

South Florida pain clinic pioneer indicted on federal gun charges

A pioneer in the South Florida pain clinic industry now blamed for multistate drug trafficking and soaring rates of overdose deaths was indicted on federal gun charges and appeared before a magistrate judge Tuesday morning.

 

Florida Senate Candidate Norman appeals ruling; Ambler asks to be put on ballot; voters are confused

Early voting got underway Monday, but a legal challenge over a state Senate seat is causing confusion for some voters in Hillsborough and Pasco counties.

 

U.S. judge skeptical of Florida campaign finance laws challenge

A skeptical U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle on Monday questioned a conservative group’s motives for challenging Florida’s campaign finance laws so close to the Nov. 2 election.

 

Florida voter registration down slightly, but more independents seen

Florida voter registration is down slightly from two years ago, but the ranks of independent voters have grown since then.

 

Florida’s candidates for U.S. Senate, governor to debate this week

Two big, late-in-the-campaign debates for the top elections in Florida are set for Nova Southeastern University.

 

Bill Clinton to stump for Meek over next two days

Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Kendrick Meek is calling on the star power of former President Bill Clinton this week to help boost his campaign.

 

Rove Group Giving Big Boost to Rubio Campaign

Conservative PACs have paid out more than $2 million in past three weeks

In an onslaught of last-minute political spending, conservative political action committees tied to Republican strategist Karl Rove have paid out more than $2 million in the past three weeks to boost Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio.

 

Editorial:  In the interest of defeating Rubio, Meek should drop out

The Herald-Tribune’s recent endorsement of independent Charlie Crist for election to the U.S. Senate unfortunately ignored what is likely to occur if both Democrat Kendrick Meek and Crist stay in the race — a certain victory for Republican Marco Rubio, the Tea Party favorite.

 

Crist allure plagues Democrats

Charlie Crist’s no-party U.S. Senate candidacy is entangling Florida Democrats in a difficult racial knot of a kind they’ve experienced before, to their regret.

 

Florida’s long-distance campaign for governor enters the home stretch

And now the election really starts.  Florida’s souped-up, long-distance, and largely impersonal campaign for governor enters the final countdown with the start of early voting on Monday.

• Scott spends $1.7 million more of his own cash on campaign; Sink raises $420,000
• Tort reform an under-the-table issue in governor’s race
• Blog:  Scott sits out Palin-Rubio victory rally in Orlando
• Under oath, Rick Scott displays poor memory, penchant for parsing words

 

U.S. Representative Alan Grayson uses Rush Limbaugh in fundraising appeal

Florida Democrat Alan Grayson – never one to shy away from quirky campaign antics – made a new plea to supporters via e-mail Monday: donate to the “Rush Limbaugh, Mind Your Own Business” fund.

 

As Florida prepaid tuition plans soar, options are cut

The state of Florida is jolting consumers of its popular pre-paid college tuition plan with a tough, truth-in-advertising message as open enrollment for the program begins this week.

 

Seven Florida counties receive $4.25M U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant

Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties are among seven Florida counties awarded a $4.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

 

News Release:  NAIC Market Conduct Annual Statement Project Grows To 34 Jurisdictions

Consumers, Regulators and Industry to Benefit from Enhanced Protections, Uniformity, Cost Savings

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners announced today that 34 jurisdictions have signed a Terms of Use Agreement to collect Market Conduct Annual Statement data.

 

5th Circuit Sides with Attorney on Contingency Fee in Homeowners Insurance Settlement

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit has sided with an attorney in an appeal of a lawsuit granting the lawyer contingency fees in the settlement of a homeowners insurance claim in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It denied, however, the attorney’s request for fees and damages related to the appeal.

 

Louisiana Prevails in Pharmaceutical Marketing Case

Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell announced that a jury returned a jury verdict in the amount of $257,679,500 against Janssen Pharmaceutica Inc. and its parent company Johnson & Johnson for violating the state’s Medical Assistance Programs Integrity Law.

 

Georgia Insurance Commissioner Race:  Views on Credit Scoring, Tort Reform

Georgia voters going to the polls on Nov. 2 will have a choice when it comes to electing the state’s next insurance commissioner.

 

Michigan Alleges $50 Million Fraud Involving 41 Agents

Michigan insurance officials say they have identified 41 out of a possible 76 American Benefit Concepts insurance agents responsible for selling fraudulent investment products in several multi-million dollar investment schemes in western Michigan.

 

Private Insurers Eligible for Small Business Export-Credit Reinsurance

Private sector insurers that provide short-term export-credit insurance covering foreign receivables to U.S. exporters are now eligible for reinsurance from the Export-Import Bank of the United States.

 

South Carolina facility puts houses through hurricane test

Researchers hope a new wind facility will help them develop building techniques and products that will make homes safer in a hurricane.

 

 

 

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