Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Wednesday, June 17
Jun 17, 2009
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Most Floridians want insurer choice
Fresh information should help Gov. Charlie Crist decide the fate of House Bill 1171, which landed on his desk Friday.
Blog: Pressure mounts as clock ticks on insurance rate dereg bill
As the clock ticks on Gov. Charlie Crist’s June 27 deadline for deciding whether to veto or usher in HB 1171, the bill deregulating large property insurers’ rates, he continues to get pressure from both sides in what is turning into a large-scale e-mail and letter-writing campaign.
Small insurers tell Crist property insurance measure will be bad for consumers
Small property insurers are urging Gov. Charlie Crist to veto a measure that critics say favors State Farm. In a letter Monday, the Florida Property & Casualty Association says House Bill 1171 would create “an unbalanced and dangerously fragmented approach to rate deregulation” and “long-term negative consequences” for consumers.
Crist signs bill prohibiting local governments to charge for emergency response
With little fanfare and no comment, Gov. Charlie Crist late Tuesday signed a bill that would ban local governments from charging what is known as a ‘crash tax.’
State insurance industry gets an F-
Florida gets a failing grade when it comes to open market competition among insurers and over government regulation, according to a report card rating the nation’s insurance industry.
Hurricane Insurance Coalition: Government needs new role in hurricane insurance crisis
Insurance companies have historically dealt with their customers in a free market.
Study shows underage drinking costs Florida $3 billion a year
A state agency says traffic accidents, crimes and medical costs incurred by underage drinkers are costing Florida more than $3 billion a year.
Florida Judge Rules Out Punitive Damages in Accounting Malpractice
A Miami judge ruled on Tuesday that BDO International B.V. should not have to pay $352 million in punitive damages awarded against its U.S. member, BDO Seidman, in an ongoing landmark audit malpractice trial.
If gaming deal fails, Seminole tribe to take it to feds
Billions for Florida schools at stake
If the Seminole Tribe and the state cannot agree on a new gaming compact, the tribe will go to the federal government to seek the deal they want, the tribe’s attorney said Monday.
Crist signs law ordering DNA tests for all arrested in felonies, raising privacy fears
Anyone arrested as a felony suspect in Florida – even if they never are charged with an offense – will have their most intimate information included in a statewide database within 10 years.
Florida Senate race echoes dissent on GOP future
With a conservative South Carolina senator breaking Republican ranks to endorse Marco Rubio in the Florida U.S. Senate primary, the race between Rubio and Gov. Charlie Crist is becoming a prototype for the battle over the future direction of the Republican Party.
NASA’s future goes under scrutiny
A 10-member committee of former astronauts, aerospace executives and academics kicks off an 11-week evaluation of America’s manned-spaceflight program today – and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Brookings study: S. Fla. among weakest economic performers
Unemployment, a decline in housing prices, and the swell of foreclosures have landed the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area at No. 85 on a list of 100 metro areas weathering the recession, according to the Brookings Institution; other Florida cities at the bottom included Palm Bay, ranked No. 84, Cape Coral, ranked No. 86, Jacksonville, 97th on the list, Tampa at 98th and Bradenton at 99th.
Obama to Back Federal Insurance Office, Not Federal Regulator
The Obama administration will call for a new U.S. Treasury Department office on insurance but won’t propose federal regulation of the industry in the sweeping financial reform plan it will unveil Wednesday.
Property/casualty insurance does not pose a systemic risk and should not be subject to any new federal systemic authority, according to the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC).
New Insurer Coalition Urges End To Tax Inequity With Bermuda
Bermuda-based property and casualty companies enjoy substantially higher after-tax returns on equity and lower effective tax rates than their U.S. competitors, according to a new report by a coalition of domestic insurers.
Consumer Product Safety Commission nominee faces a drywall grilling
President Barack Obama’s nominee to head the Consumer Product Safety Commission faced questions Tuesday on the growing problem of tainted drywall at her U.S. Senate confirmation hearing.
Audit: FEMA must do better tracking its contracts
The Federal Emergency Management Agency failed to follow some federal contracting rules, making it impossible to know whether the agency got its money’s worth during disasters, a government audit found.
RMS Want Premiums Cut On Green Products, Aon Says
A survey has found that 82 percent of risk managers believe the insurance industry should change its attitude to be more socially responsibility and cut the cost of “green” coverage products.
Red Cross Report Confirms 2008 Rise in Weather-Related Disasters
A global trend towards increasing weather-related disasters was confirmed in 2008, the second deadliest year in the past decade for natural catastrophes, an annual Red Cross report said Tuesday.
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