Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Wednesday, Sept. 5

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Congress poised to grill regulators

The worst housing slump in 16 years and upheaval in financial markets have cast a shadow on the economy, leading lawmakers to question federal regulators about the path ahead for anxious consumers.

 

William Stander: Crist’s ‘war’ on insurers not constructive for Floridians

Last month, Florida escaped a monster Category 5 hurricane that slammed into Mexico, devastating homes and businesses with its 165-mph winds (“Dean leaves flooding on Mexican coast,” Aug. 23).

 

Fight over state’s primary helps GOP, Dems say

Democratic legislative leaders said Tuesday that state and national party leaders sniping over Florida’s Jan. 29 presidential primary is helping Republicans.

 

On fixing no-fault, no excuses

With new proposals circulating in both the Florida House and Senate, lawmakers have no excuse to let the no-fault automobile insurance law expire and chaos ensue.

 

Sides gird for Fla. budget fight

To erase a deficit, cuts in aid must be made. Not mine is the refrain.

TALLAHASSEE – Florida faces its biggest budget shortfall in two decades, and state legislators are about to decide who gets hurt and who gets spared.

 

5th Circuit Halts Hurricane Suits By Louisiana AG

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an emergency order Wednesday barring an effort by the state of Louisiana and plaintiff’s lawyers to have the state’s attorney general sue the Army Corps of Engineers on behalf of Hurricane Katrina victims who don’t have lawyers.

 

Devices hold key to reducing drunk driving

Technology that prevents a drunken driver from starting a vehicle holds the promise of greatly reducing alcohol-related deaths, according to the government and auto safety groups.

 

Federal Court Upholds Nationwide in Katrina Storm Surge Case

A federal appeals court sided with Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. last Thursday in a key Mississippi case related to hundreds of lawsuits over damage caused by Hurricane Katrina.

 

La. Appeals Court Says Flood Exclusion A Jury Decision

A state appeals court in Louisiana has issued a ruling that under state law there are tough proof requirements for an insurer seeking to use flood exclusion language in a homeowner’s policy to avoid paying for a total loss.

 

Crist: Early presidential primary the ‘right thing’

Despite Democratic presidential candidates pledging to stay away from Florida and his own Republican Party threatening sanctions of their own, Gov. Charlie Crist said Tuesday he had no intention of pushing back the state’s Jan. 29 presidential primary.

 

Editorial: Insurance purge

Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Alex Sink, says “the sky’s not falling” on property owners whose insurance companies have been dropping them by the thousands.

 

Florida ranks 5th in number without health insurance

June Gammie, 50, of West Palm Beach has been uninsured all of her adult life. She works as a nursing assistant for a private-duty agency making $21,000 a year – too much to qualify for government health insurance programs, but too little to buy private health insurance.

 

House Panel to Hear Catastrophe Insurance Plan Bill on Sept. 6

A House subcommittee will hear testimony this week on a bill to encourage states to pool their catastrophe pool risks and then transfer them to the private market.

 

Think Tank: Deregulate Title Insurance

SANTA FE – Costs of title insurance in New Mexico could drop by 30 percent, potentially saving home buyers $40 million a year, if the state’s price-regulated title insurance system was scrapped, according to a new report.

 

Brooke Credit Corporation Increases Lending Facility to $150 Million

Brooke Credit Corporation announced that its lending facility with DZ Bank AG Deutsche Zentral-Genossenschaftsbank (DZ Bank) has been increased from $80 million to $150 million. This lending facility is used to temporarily fund loans originated by the Company until they are eventually securitized.

 

Surplus Lines Outperforms Primary P-C Lines Insurers

For more than a decade the property-casualty surplus lines insurance market has outperformed the primary commercial p-c lines market in both premium growth and underwriting profit, according to a consulting firm’s study.

 

Florida: No PIP means less cash

$29 million would vanish next year, state claims

TALLAHASSEE — Florida highway safety officials warned Gov. Charlie Crist months ago the end of the state’s no-fault auto insurance laws would mean a potential 2 million uninsured motorists on Florida roads.

 

Your Bond, Please

How to make sure that immigrants aren’t a drain on the economy.

Think of that first loan you took out to buy a car. It’s likely that Mom or Dad had to cosign in the event that you lost your job, got lazy or ended up in the slammer.

 

Experts discuss juvenile detention overhaul

TALLAHASSEE – State and federal experts meet in Fort Lauderdale today to discuss ways to reform Florida’s juvenile detention system.

 

U.S. Distributes $109 Million to States with Primary Seat Belt Laws

U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters announced that 17 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and four territories will receive more than $109 million under a federal program to encourage and enforce seat belt use.

 

100 Miles to Savings

Auto Insurance Goes Down When You Send Your Kid Away, Far Away, to College

Sending Junior away for college can bring some savings – and not just because he can’t skip home to do laundry and raid the fridge. Many auto insurers will lower if not eliminate the cost of coverage for a son or daughter who attends school far enough from home.

 

This Won’t Hurt a Bit

No company benefits more than WellPoint from the current health care mess. New chief executive Angela Braly is trying to put a kind face on this controversial business.