Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Wednesday, February 4
Feb 4, 2009
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State Farm Rejects Call to Let Florida Agents Represent Other Insurers
Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink is urging State Farm Florida to “immediately” let its agents do business with other insurance companies for their more than one million policyholders now that State Farm is withdrawing from the state.
State Farm Defends Pullout From Fla.
State Farm executives on Tuesday defended their plan to abandon Florida’s property insurance market, arguing that their inability to raise rates and potential cost of a major hurricane were too much to have a profitable insurance company in the state.
State Farm hasn’t given up on 47% rate increase
Right now, though, it’s still leaving Florida property insurance market.
State Farm might continue pushing for a 47 percent rate increase for its property insurance customers in Florida even as it makes plans to leave the state, executives told lawmakers Tuesday.
Insurers jockey to cover State Farm gap
More than 20 insurance companies are angling to write policies for customers who are losing their State Farm home coverage.
State insurance regulators are increasingly confident that there could be enough private companies, already working in Florida or eager to enter this market, to take on the policies shed by State Farm Florida Insurance.
WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITORIAL: Florida’s Unnatural Disaster
Charlie Crist, taxpayers and the next hurricane
Who needs Mother Nature to cause a catastrophe? Florida’s politicians are busy creating an unnatural disaster in their state insurance market that will blow away taxpayers when the next big hurricane hits. And we mean taxpayers across America.
Broward to use FEMA grant to retrofit buildings for hurricanes
Broward will use $17.8 million in grant money to help harden its buildings to hurricanes.
Broward commissioners took a big step Tuesday toward carrying out a $25 million plan to fortify key county buildings to withstand the punishing winds of a Category 3 hurricane.
Hurricane center’s briefings to go online
Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami will have their briefings carried live this season on Web sites when a storm threatens to make landfall in the U.S.
Obama thanks Crist for support of stimulus plan
The White House on Tuesday amped up the pressure to speedily pass a giant economic-stimulus package, with President Barack Obama dialing three Republican governors — including Florida’s Charlie Crist — to thank them for backing the measure.
U.S. Senator Martinez presents an alternative stimulus plan
U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez has offered up an alternative economic stimulus bill, one that stresses homeowner assistance, tax cuts and comes with a price tag about half as much as the Democratic proposal.
Crist to decide on Senate run in May
Gov. Charlie Crist said Tuesday that he’ll wait until May to make a decision about a potential campaign for U.S. Senate.
Sen. Martinez opens door to early exit, but not soon
Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) on Tuesday opened the door to resigning his seat before his term ends in 2010, but insisted he won’t be leaving anytime soon.
Democrat Bill Ramos eyes Pruitt Senate seat
Democrat Bill Ramos, twice a candidate for state House, has his eyes set on the state Senate.
Bilirakis Is Homeland Security Watchdog
U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Palm Harbor has been picked to be his party’s top congressional watchdog over the Department of Homeland Security.
REPRESENTATIVE HORNER: Expand Fla. Cuts; Include Legislators
As a new member of the Florida House of Representatives I received a crash course in budget cutting during our recent special session.
Crist’s pick for health care board surprises
Benjamin Frank, Nelson Rockefeller’s point man on building the World Trade Center and a top business executive with strong ties to the GOP, on Tuesday was named by Gov. Charlie Crist to the board of the Health Care District of Palm Beach County.
Broward tobacco suit could be bellwether
The first of about 8,000 lawsuits blaming the health problems and deaths of Florida smokers on tobacco companies went to trial Tuesday, more than two years after the state Supreme Court threw out a record $145 billion class-action verdict.
Please tax me so I can earn more?
Florida’s fiscal crisis recently spurred two groups to do the unthinkable: Nursing homes asked to be taxed, and the Republican-controlled Legislature agreed to do it.
OMG! Bill Targets Teen Driving Habits
Leto High senior Karishma Mahtani has a chance to make her idea a state law, but it might not make her popular with friends who like to text, talk on the phone or fiddle with MP3 players while driving.
Florida’s DMV does a U-turn on policy for immigrant crime victims
After complaints from advocates, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said Tuesday that it will modify its policy for issuing drivers licenses to immigrant crime victims.
Dockery Urges Crist to Force New CSX Deal
State Sen. Paula Dockery has sent an open letter to Florida Gov. Charlie Crist urging him to step in and force the renegotiation of CSX Transportation’s commuter rail/freight transfer station deal with the Florida Department of Transportation.
State lawmakers skewer U.S. Sugar deal
A Florida Senate panel today skewered state officials who put together Gov. Charlie Crist’s deal to purchase U.S. Sugar, signaling a potentially tough road for the project in the upcoming legislative session.
Gov. Crist assures sports organizations of their place in Fla. economy
Gov. Charlie Crist is assuring the sports industry he will do what he can to make sure it stays healthy.
Tax dollars may subsidize nonstop Delta flights to Tallahassee
Delta Air Lines, the world’s largest airline, may get a government subsidy to resume nonstop flights this year between Tallahassee and three Florida cities, including Fort Lauderdale.
Campaign aims to strengthen marriages, reduce divorce rate in Florida
The Florida Family Policy Council along with other pro-family groups and supporters from around the state announced Tuesday the launch of “Strong Marriages Florida,” a new statewide campaign to help strengthen marriages in Florida.
James Madison Institute published an article entitled “Ominous Parallels: the National Financial Crisis and Hurricane Insurance” in the Winter 2009 edition of the James Madison Journal.
Texas Governor Calls for Reform of Texas Wind Pool Funding
Three of the five emergency items that Texas Gov. Rick Perry has outlined for the 2009 legislative session relate to hurricane recovery, including legislation to reform the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) and legislation to fund the Catastrophe Reserve Trust Fund related to TWIA.
Iowa Regulator’s About-Face On Rule Draws Questions
Consumer advocates are asking Iowa Insurance Commissioner Susan Voss why she voted against a proposal to relax life insurers’ capital and surplus requirements on Jan. 29 and five days later issued a state regulation reversing her position.
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