Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Wednesday, May 14
May 14, 2008
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Appeals court: State can bar Allstate
An appeals court says the state can prevent Allstate Companies from selling new property insurance policies in Florida.
The 1st District Court of Appeal ruled Wednesday that a state ban on new policies by the company can go forward.
108 fires raging in state, leveling homes
Firefighters appeared to be winning their battle on Tuesday against wildfires that destroyed more than 60 homes in this Brevard County community — fires that authorities believe were intentionally set.
Fla. wildfires hit 160 homes; arsonists sought
Investigators searched Tuesday for one or more arsonists behind a string of stubborn wildfires that have destroyed or damaged more than 160 homes on Florida’s Atlantic coast.
At hurricane conference, attention turns to fires
George Robins says disaster has weighed heavily on his mind lately.
Board won’t exclude 2 investment firms from Fla. bidding
Two major investment firms will advise Florida on financing its hurricane catastrophe insurance fund although Gov. Charlie Crist tried to exclude them Tuesday.
U.S. Senate flood insurance bill may cost Floridians
More than 2 million Florida homes would be insured against floods for another five years under legislation approved Tuesday by the Senate, but the program won’t be expanded to include windstorm damage.
EDITORIAL: Questions remain on state investment fund
The state’s management of an investment fund has faded from the front pages in the five months since some local governments struggled to pay bills after the account was temporarily shut down amid concerns about its troubled investments.
Florida’s hurricane-safety program for homes on track to exceed goal
The My Safe Florida Home Program, which provides qualified homeowners with state grants toward making their homes more hurricane-resistant, is expected to surpass its projected goal of assisting 35,000 state residents before it ends May 31, Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink said Tuesday.
On June 1, the 2008 hurricane season officially begins.
Woman wins $300K in sinkhole suit
A Gainesville woman won a $300,000 lawsuit against her insurer after a jury determined that sinking soil in an ancient sinkhole damaged her home.
State Democratic candidates targeting long-held GOP seats
Signaling their intentions to contend for longtime Republican seats in Tallahassee this fall, four Democratic candidates on Tuesday accused the GOP-led legislature of neglecting homeowners’ insurance and other meaningful issues and pursuing ‘frivolous’ matters instead.
Florida senators vote to defeat offshore drilling
Senate Democrats and a handful of Republicans from coastal states beat back a proposal Tuesday seeking to ease the federal ban on oil and gas drilling in Atlantic and Pacific waters.
Fla.’s PURE Expands into South Carolina’s High Value Homes Market
Florida-based Privilege Underwriters Reciprocal Exchange expanded into South Carolina, according to its president and chief executive officer.
U.S. Senators agree to write off $17 billion FEMA flood debt
The Senate agreed Tuesday to write off – and hand over to taxpayers – more than $17 billion in debt that a FEMA flood insurance program accumulated after being devastated by Katrina and other 2005 hurricanes.
Rapid Coastal Growth Places Urgency on Hurricane Forecasts, Chief Says
The rapid pace of development along hurricane-prone coasts is adding a new level of urgency for forecasters to more accurately pinpoint potential storm impact zones, the director of the National Hurricane Center said.
Tiny Smart “fortwo†scores top marks in crash testing
Unlike most cars on the road, the pint-size 2008 Smart “fortwo†evokes a simple question at first glance: ‘How safe is it?’
Mississippi Coast Insurance Rates Nearing Pre-Katrina Levels
Collaboration between Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney, the state Legislature, Gov. Haley Barbour and the Mississippi Windstorm Underwriting Association has managed to return Gulf Coast insurance premiums to nearly pre-Katrina levels.
Georgia Still Not Serious About Water
In February, facing a severe drought and serious water shortages, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue eased outdoor watering restrictions. Why? He wanted to help the landscaping industry.
Georgia Insurance Commissioner: Storm Damage at $50M and Growing
Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John W. Oxendine said he estimated that violent weather across Georgia over the weekend caused more than $50 million in insured losses, with more than 6,000 homes damaged.
Taxes on Insurance: A Tax Quirk Holds Out Promise for a Hard-Pressed Town
Leaders of this town in the bluegrass country of northeast Kentucky are facing a problem any mayor would envy: how to spend a windfall.
Confessions of an Insurance Geek and the Future of MyNewMarkets.com
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