Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Wednesday, Sept. 12

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Commissioner McCarty Denies Rate Increases For Hartford Insurance Companies

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (09/12/2007) – Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty today announced the denial of eight rate filings submitted by insurance companies of The Hartford Financial Services Group. The filings submitted were not actuarially justified and lacked supporting information.

 

From the St. Petersburg Times political blog: Rep. Davis dies

Rep. Mike Davis, R-Naples, died about 10 a.m. after a battle with cancer, his parish has confirmed. Davis, 60, planned to serve through his term in 2008 but announced plans not to seek re-election.

 

Health-care premiums rise 6.1%

Costs also take larger share out of workers’ budgets, survey finds

Health insurance premiums paid by workers and their employers rose an average of 6.1 percent this year, outpacing inflation and pay increases and taking a bigger chunk out of families’ budgets, according to a new survey.

 

Hurricane Inspection Program Irks Public

TAMPA – It’s been 15 months since the state launched its My Safe Florida Home inspection program. During that time, there have been tens of thousands of residents statewide who tried to take advantage of a free wind inspection and a possible matching grant up to $5,000 to better fortify their homes against hurricanes.

 

Few Calls Coming For Storm Safety Home Inspections

TAMPA – It should be easy to give something away – especially a free hurricane inspection in a state ravaged by past storms.

 

Feds ready to expand Seminole gambling

If that happens, the state would lose its cut of tribe revenue.

Interior Department officials told Florida Gov. Charlie Crist’s top lieutenants Tuesday that their boss will give the Seminole Tribe expanded casino gambling if the state fails to work out a deal, an attorney for the tribe said.

 

Bernanke: current account gap cannot persist

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Tuesday told a European audience that huge external debts were not unduly burdening the U.S. economy now, but over time the U.S. current account gap is unsustainable.

 

Progressive Combines Agency, Direct Personal Lines Management

The Progressive Corp. in Mayfield, Ohio is consolidating management of its two distribution channels for personal lines.

 

INTERVIEW-Insurers face “billion dollars” in subprime claims

MONACO, Sept 11 (Reuters) – The insurance and reinsurance industries could face claims of up to “a billion dollars” from the subprime mortgage crisis, Grahame Chilton, chief executive of Benfield, the world’s fourth-largest reinsurance brokers, told Reuters.

 

U.S. Deaths Rise by 50, 000 in 2005

ATLANTA (AP) — The number of deaths in the United States rose in 2005 after a sharp decline the year earlier, a disappointing reversal that suggests the 2004 numbers were a fluke. Cancer deaths were also up.

 

Support for plan to cut taxes erodes

A poll finds nearly third of voters are undecided.

TALLAHASSEE – Steady cries from cities and counties over planned property tax cuts are eating into support for a proposed constitutional amendment granting large homestead exemptions, a statewide poll shows.

 

FTC Warns Mortgage Advertisers and Media That Ads May Be Deceptive

The Federal Trade Commission is warning mortgage brokers and lenders, and media outlets that carry their advertisements for home mortgages, that some of the advertising claims currently appearing in Web sites, newspapers, magazines, direct mail, and unsolicited e-mail and faxes may violate federal law.

 

Rep. Frank Sees Way To End Snag On TRIA Vote

WASHINGTON —Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., said yesterday he is at work on a solution to budget issues that caused the House leadership to delay this week’s floor action on legislation extending federal supports for terrorism insurance.

 

Sept. 11 is Reminder of Need for Terror Reinsurance, Say P/C Insurers

Six years after September 11, 2001, the threat of terrorist attack remains a source of tremendous uncertainty for the United States economy, with potentially negative consequences for both business interests and employment, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.).

 

Backroom Deal Between Friends Taints Worth Of CSX Rail Deal

In a deal to bring commuter rail to central Florida and take hundreds of cars off the road in congested Orlando, Gov. Jeb Bush and CSX railroad last year announced the sale of tracks for $491 million in taxpayer money.

 

Zephyrhills Shouldn’t Quickly Extinguish Sprinkler Proposal

Zephyrhills City Council is overreacting a bit about a proposal requiring sprinkler systems in some businesses, fearing they would be hindering further economic development.