Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Wednesday, December 24
Dec 24, 2008
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Conseco faces license woes for misleading customers
State regulators have ordered Conseco Life Insurance Co. to show cause why its Florida license should not be revoked or suspended for misleading approximately 5,000 customers.
Justices uphold Fla. fireworks liability laws
The Florida Supreme Court has upheld local ordinances that require fireworks dealers to have insurance.
Feds kill FL plan to switch Medicaid patients to HMOs
Bowing to a decision by federal authorities, the Agency for Health Care Administration has shelved a plan to shift Medicaid patients in 25 counties into managed care — mostly HMOs — if they didn’t specifically request not to be moved. The provision, passed in the most recent session, was seen as a gift to Medicaid HMOs because it was expected to bring them thousands of new recipients in 25 counties.
COLUMN: Condominium insurance law leaves confusion in its wake
Flustered by Florida condominium insurance law? Some of the latest requirements are as confusing as they are contentious.
And lawmakers are likely to make more changes when they convene in March – including possibly reversing a statute requiring individual owners to obtain hazard and liability insurance as of Jan. 1.
Lawmakers reacted coolly to Crist’s proposal heading into the Legislature’s Jan. 5 special session to balance the $66.3 billion budget.
No layoffs in governor’s budget proposal
Gov. Charlie Crist’s deficit reduction plan is heavy on cutting spending, borrowing money and shifting funds, but it avoids tax and fee increases as well as employee furloughs and layoffs.
Second Cuban American in running for Florida Supreme Court seat
First out of the running for the Florida Supreme Court, Jorge Labarga now has an interview scheduled for Wednesday.
Gov. Charlie Crist started to quiet criticism over a Cuban-American lawyer’s nomination for a Supreme Court seat by saying Tuesday that he’ll consider another candidate, Judge Jorge Labarga, for the seat as well.
Florida’s Alligator Alley lease plan delayed again because of faltering economy
A controversial proposal to lease Alligator Alley has been postponed another four months, this time at the request of the prospective bidders because of the economic recession.
Piper will not seek $10.7 million incentive payment tied to job growth
Piper Aircraft will not seek the next payment from Indian River County under the terms of an agreement to keep the airline manufacturer here as it struggles with an economic downturn that is impacting airline manufacturers nationwide.
Palm Beach Princess gets 30-day reprieve
Port of Palm Beach commissioners voted Tuesday to give Miami businessman Mauro Sebben 30 extra days to come up with a $500,000 security deposit securing the right to moor his Palm Beach Princess gaming ship there.
Florida’s star is dimming as other states lure movie studios
When Marley & Me, starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston, opens in theaters across the country on Christmas Day, South Florida moviegoers can enjoy picking out local landmarks from Las Olas Boulevard to Dolphin Stadium.
Census count brings jobs to Southwest Florida
The Census Bureau plans to open offices in Fort Myers and Port Charlotte in February, which will result in hundreds of jobs.
SpaceX sees 1,000 jobs in Brevard
In NASA contract, 12 cargo flights start as shuttle ends
SpaceX and a Virginia company were awarded multibillion-dollar NASA cargo contracts Tuesday to resupply the International Space Station and possibly bring about 1,000 new jobs to the Space Coast.
The Fight Isn’t Over: Keeping CSX Deal In Spotlight
Downtown Group Vows to Keep CSX Deal in Spotlight
Julie Townsend’s job as executive director of the Downtown Lakeland Partnership is to promote downtown Lakeland and its businesses. A lot of her time recently has been spent on debates on the potential impact of additional freight train traffic coming through downtown Lakeland. That traffic would be the direct result of the development of a new CSX freight terminal in Winter Haven and the development of commuter rail in the Orlando area.
Two years with no red tide – the experts theorize why
Tourism may be down. Real estate has sunk. And unemployment is surging. But for Southwest Florida, one major indicator has been nothing but positive.
Insurers Balk at FTC Order for Consumer Data in Credit Score Probe
The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) decision to order insurance companies to provide a wide array of consumers’ personal information in connection with a study of credit-based insurance scores and homeowners insurance is unnecessary, costly and risks consumers’ privacy, according to the insurance company trade group, the American Insurance Association (AIA).
FEMA, Code Council Sign Disaster Prevention Agreement
The International Code Council and the Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are teaming up to reduce the loss of life and property caused by natural disasters.
Massachusetts Agents Want Regulator to Rein in Progressive
A trade group for Massachusetts insurance agents has asked the state’s top regulator to force Progressive Insurance to take down its Web site, which agents say routinely gives inaccurate quotes — particularly when comparing Progressive’s prices to its competitors.
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