Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report–Friday, February 6, 2015

Feb 6, 2015

 

Above:  The scene yesterday as media members surrounded former Florida CFO Alex Sink (in the foreground), while the Florida Cabinet deliberated on whether to replace Florida’s Insurance Commissioner and other regulators.  (Photo Credit:  Gary Fineout, Associated Press)

 

 

To go directly to the section of your choice, click on a hyperlink below.  Other hyperlinks to meeting information, bills and news are noted in bold type.

 

 

Daily Florida Insurance-Related Events

 

9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.–Florida Citizens Property Insurance Board of Governors meeting.  Teleconference: 888-942-8686; access code:  5743735657#.  To view the meeting notice, click here.

     

     

    Daily Florida Insurance-Related News

     

    Florida Commissioner McCarty May Have Survived Scott’s Ouster Bid

    Florida’s insurance commissioner appears to have survived in his appointed post for now as a move by the state’s newly re-elected governor to oust him has failed to win support of the other state officials needed to make the change.  Insurance Journal’s Michael Adams reports.

     

    Florida man takes down gun range in his yard after national outrage

    A 21 year-old man sparked neighborhood and national outrage after building a gun range in the yard of his St. Petersburg home, close to children and a golf course.  After receiving an offer for a free gun range membership, and also getting some death threats, he’s agreed to take it down, Jason Silverstein reports for the New York Daily News.

     

    Outlawing driving while stoned runs into legislative roadblock

    A proposal to make it a crime for driving under the influence of pot is turning out to be ill-timed, the Palm Beach Post’s Jane Musky reports via the “Post on Politics” blog.

     

    Rolling booze bike wants St. Petersburg to ease some rules

    Pedal Pub has been on the bar scene in St. Pete for a few years now and things are pedaling along a trail of stagnation, SaintPetersBlog.com’s Janelle Irwin reports.

     

    Stop using our phrase, Florida’s little known insurance exchange says

    Florida’s little known health insurance exchange wants groups using a specific combination of words to promote the federal exchange to scrub the phrase from their websites, pamphlets and other promotional media – or risk legal action.  The Miami Herald’s Dan Chang reports.

     

    Charlotte’s Web negotiations end after 25 hours with plan to develop scorecard to award licenses

    A cannabis-based medicine may be available in Florida by the end of the year – even if the rule developed during two days of negotiations is challenged, SaintPetersBlog.com’s James Call reports.

     

    New Florida prison policy punishes investigators who speak up

    Two days after Florida legislators asked a series of probing questions of the top inspector at the Department of Corrections, the agency has banned inspectors from discussing any investigations, releasing any public records relating to agency probes, or even voluntarily bringing information to outsiders – including legislators.  The Miami Herald’s Mary Ellen Klas reports via “The Buzz” blog.

     

    Developments at the Republican Party of Florida

    Recently elected Florida GOP Chairman Blaise Ingoglia says veteran Republican consultant David Johnson will serve as the party’s interim executive director for about 90 days in a voluntary capacity and Brad Herold, Marco Rubio’s former deputy state director, will be deputy executive director.   Tampa Bay Times’ Adam Smith reports via “The Buzz” blog.

     

    Verizon selling TV, Internet operations in Florida to Frontier

    Verizon Communications Inc. is selling its operations in Florida, Texas and California to Frontier Communications Corp. for $10.54 billion, the company announced Thursday.  The Tampa Tribune’s Richard Mullins reports.

     

    Florida Cabinet Debates Honoring Civil War Vets

    Could the Civil War be coming to the 2015 legislative session?  The seemingly mundane issue of approving the nominees for the Florida Veterans’ Hall of Fame came up at yesterday’s Florida Cabinet meeting, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA’s Brandon Larrabee reports via SunshineStateNews.com.

     

    New York Reduces Life-Insurance Reserves To Reduce Allure of Captives

    In another nod to industry complaints, New York’s top financial watchdog said it would reduce by as much as 15% the amount of reserves insurers must set aside for a type of life-insurance policy long popular with the well-to-do, the Wall Street Journal’s Leslie Scism reports.

     

     

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