Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Wednesday, June 25
Jun 25, 2008
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Insurer wants to sell wind, flood coverage in 1 policy
One of the nation’s largest insurance companies is lobbying Congress for permission to sell policies that cover damage from both wind and flood water, a plan billed as a way for insurers and homeowners to avoid costly litigation after disasters like Hurricane Katrina.
Action Line:Â Countrywide can’t seem to unearth $1,098.94
Q. I’m the owner of a public insurance adjuster firm. On April 9, I mailed a check for $5,200.90 to Countrywide for endorsement as settlement of an insurance claim. The check was made out to my company, Countrywide and the mortgagee. We and the mortgagee signed the check, as instructed by Countrywide, and I attached an invoice for $1,098.94 in services owed by the mortgagor, which Countrywide promised to mail to my office.
Manatee approves red-light cameras
Soon, drivers blowing through red lights at some intersections will be mailed souvenir pictures of themselves in the act and fined for their trouble.
With Oil’s Rise, Floridians Shift on Drilling
Neighbors Jo Ellen Sharp and Kristin Jenkins stood beside each other after a day on the beach of this barrier island, divided by the thought that Florida’s corner of the Gulf of Mexico could some day be dotted by gigantic oil rigs.
Everglades Activists: U.S. Sugar Deal Means Faster Restoration
A $1.75 billion deal to give taxpayers control over 187,000 acres south of Lake Okeechobee would dramatically cut the cost and time it takes to restore the Everglades, environmentalists said this afternoon.
Purchase would deeply tap water district’s finances
Water managers will have to max out their financing power to buy 187,000 acres of sugar land south of the Everglades’ historic headwaters.
Rooney gets House Conservatives Fund endorsement in District 16 race  Â
Congressional District 16 candidate Tom Rooney has picked up the support of the House Conservatives Fund, a federal political action committee that supports Republican candidates committed to economic and socially conservative issues.
State lawmaker faces three challengers in Collier, after all
It can be a long way from Naples to Tallahassee and back again. Especially when it comes to one government communicating with another.
EDITORIAL: Gerrymandering discourages good citizenship
When the qualifying deadline ended Friday, nearly one-fourth of the Florida Legislature’s membership was re-elected with no opposition.
‘Gov. Green’ has a tough sell at summit
A year ago, Gov. Charlie Crist created headlines by announcing a bold plan to fight global warming pollution at a climate change summit. He returns here today to host the second summit with his environmental credentials in question after he joined presumed Republican presidential nominee John McCain last week in endorsing offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
“Green Technology Drives Green Economiesâ€
Thank you for being here. Our purpose during these two days is to chart the course of the ‘green’ future of the Sunshine State. This summit will allow us to identify the many opportunities Florida has to explore green energy sources. And it is also an opportunity to explore how we can consider our environment in all we do, and in so doing, enrich our economy.Â
FPL surcharge angers big firms
Two big-business groups complained that Florida Power & Light’s application for a 16 percent rate increase is unfair.
Big business is fighting hard against Florida Power & Light’s request to increase customers’ monthly bills by at least 16 percent to pay for energy surcharges.
CSX proxy fight faces vote today
You’ve all seen corporate raider Gordon Gekko telling shareholders at an annual meeting that “greed, for lack of a better word, is good.”
Of course, that scene from the 1987 movie Wall Street is fiction. Annual meetings rarely have that kind of drama. But a similar scene could play out today inside a tent at CSX Corp.’s New Orleans rail yard.
Federal judge hearing parking lot gun law case
A federal judge in Tallahassee will hear arguments in a case challenging a new Florida law that allows guns to be kept locked in cars parked in lots owned by businesses.
Extra shuttle flight bill clears hurdle, moves on
Legislation that would add an extra shuttle mission to NASA’s schedule and an extra $1 billion to its budget was approved Tuesday by a Senate panel. The bill now heads to the full Senate, where it is expected to pass as easily as a similar bill approved by the House, 409-15, last week.
House Moves Bill Aiding Building Code Enforcement
The House Financial Services Committee voted out legislation yesterday to help local authorities develop and enforce building codes.
Bond Rating Bill Delayed In Congress
A congressional committee will wait until after the July 4 break to consider legislation requiring rating agencies to treat municipal bonds the same as corporate bond issues.
A.M. BEST VIDEO:Â Conversations with Industry Newsmakers
PCI Part 1: David A. Sampson on Optional Federal CharterÂ
In an interview with BestWeek’s Chad Hemenway, PCI’s President and Chief Executive Officer David A. Sampson discusses the Optional Federal Charter.Â
U.S. Health Insurers Look To China For Growth
Aetna and other U.S. health insurers are wide-eyed over business opportunities in China now that the sleeping giant has lifted its own lids.
Oklahoma Study: ‘Early offer’ has its advantages in injury cases
A new study concludes there are advantages to an “early offer†system in business-related personal injury cases, including per-claim savings and getting payments to claimants faster than the existing court-based system.
Mississippi: Other insurers fill gap left by State Farm
State Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney addressed the Pascagoula Kiwanis Club Tuesday and declared, “Thank God for Allstate.”
Alaska Changes Property and Casualty Insurance Testing
The Alaska Division of Insurance has changed its policies for property and casualty insurance testing to conform with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Producer Licensing Uniformity Standards. It will no longer be offering part 2 of the property/casualty licensing exam beginning in August.
Hawaii Amends Captive Insurance Statutes
Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle has signed SB3023 SD2 HD2 CD1 (Act 190) into law, amending the state’s captive insurance industry statutes.
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