Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Monday, July 30
Jul 30, 2012
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
There are no Florida insurance-related events scheduled for today.
Citizens board approves 2 sets of rate hikes
The state-run insurer will present two proposals to state regulators: one for an 8.8 percent statewide increase over all policy types, and another for a 10.2 percent statewide increase that includes additional risk factors.
Private Companies Offer Plans to Depopulate Florida’s Citizens
Private companies and investors say they are willing to remove thousands of policyholders from Florida’s state- backed homeowners market if they can get officials to give them millions of dollars in loans.
Blog: State Representative Artiles’ opinion piece on Citizens adds to GOP’s North-vs.-South feud
Rep. Frank Artiles, R-Miami, penned an opinion piece in the Miami Herald on Friday, blasting “reckless and damaging proposals” at Citizens Property Insurance.
Blog: Citizens “fixes” — Raising rates, raiding reserves?
Here’s my Sunday print column, in which I wonder about state-run Citizens Property Insurance being out of touch and take issue with some alarming signs, like a possible giveaway of part of its $6 billion in reserves to private insurers.
Opinion leaders debate the question of whether Citizens Property Insurance should continue to cap property insurance rates.
Florida Lands $21 Million in Aid for Tropical Storm Debby
Florida has received $21 million in state and federal aid for those affected by Tropical Storm Debby. The Florida Emergency Management Agency reported more than 12,000 people have contacted the federal agency for aid.
Walter Dartland,executive director of the Consumer Federation of the Southeast, is calling on state and federal authorities to immediately send aprotective services team to Florida Institute for Neurologic Rehabilitation (FINR) in Hardee County after Bloomberg News detailed a dangerous a pattern ofabuse and neglect of residents there.
South Florida State Representative Daphne Campbell faces IRS investigation
Already facing a Florida Medicaid fraud probe, South Florida state Rep. Daphne Campbell is being investigated by federal agents who are tracing hundreds of thousands of dollars through bank accounts tied to a web of family health care businesses, the Miami Herald has learned.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti today announced multiple arrests in “Operation Dirty Money,” an investigation conducted by the recently formed Workers’ Compensation Fraud Task Force, which has to date netted more than $140 million in fraudulent transactions associated with 12 shell companies.
Early voting begins in 5 Florida counties
Early voting begins for five counties in Florida.
Blog: Lawsuit costs escalating for Governor Scott’s legislative agenda
Lawsuits over major legislation championed by Governor Rick Scott more than a year ago are still working their way through the courts, and the legal bills for Florida’s taxpayers continue to mount.
Committees outspend candidates 3-to-1 in latest campaign reports
The spending highlights the issues driving the campaigns. Large amounts of money are being spent as part of the battle for control of the Senate and to influence expected debates about the future of Medicaid.
The Florida Current’s Campaign Roundup: Of errant mailers and replacement candidates
This week in the roundup, a former House Speaker looks to get back in the game, a spate of coveted endorsements and the postman rings twice for candidates with mailers that went awry.
Florida House race puts spotlight on Deltona
Deltona’s representation in Tallahassee used to sound like a bad joke: “How many lawmakers does it take to shine a light on Central Florida’s second-largest city?”
Florida House District 20: Two Alachua County Dems Battle in Primary for Open House Seat
Two Democrats are battling in the August primary for an open seat in the Florida House of Representatives representing parts of Alachua and Marion counties and the winner should be headed to Tallahassee since whoever emerges will face a write-in candidate.
Florida House District 27: Interesting Battle Shaping Up for Open Seat Representing Volusia County
With Rep. Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange, facing term limits and running for a seat in the Florida Senate, an interesting battle is developing to see who will represent the southern part of Volusia County in the Florida House of Representatives.
Florida House District 36: Mike Fasano, Michael Kennedy, James Mathieu
Mike Fasano, a legislator who is seeking a newly redistricted House seat after being term-limited out of his Senate seat and a previous House seat, is facing opposition from business owner Michael Kennedy and lawyer and Republican party activist James Mathieu.
Florida House District 37: Richard Corcoran vs. Strother Hammond
A political newcomer hopes to unseat state Rep. Richard Corcoran, who has quickly become popular in the Florida House.
Reed, Denson face off in Florida House District 61
Political newcomer Tatiana Denson is challenging incumbent state Rep. Betty Reed for State House District 61, the boundaries of which largely are made up of the former District 59.
Florida House District 105: Carlos Trujillo Faces GOP Primary Challenge from Paul Crespo
As he seeks a second term in the Florida House, Rep. Carlos Trujillo, R-Miami, faces a serious challenger in the Republican primary on Aug. 14 and is looking at a very different district than the one he currently represents.
Florida Not Expected to Make Big Changes in Gun Laws
Florida lawmakers are not likely to make any dramatic changes in the state’s gun laws in the wake of the Colorado movie theater massacre that left 12 dead and dozens wounded earlier this month.
Sarasota-Bradenton airport braces for AirTran’s exit
AirTran Airways will abandon Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport in less than a fortnight, despite a slight increase in passenger traffic through the first half of this year.
High number of Florida high school grads needing remedial college classes costing state millions
A high school diploma does not mean the end of high school classes for nearly two out of every five Palm Beach County students who go on to higher education at a public Florida institution.
Court upholds 1 Florida gang law, strikes another
An appellate court on Friday struck down a Florida law prohibiting ”electronic communication” by criminal gangs, but it upheld another statute that makes it a felony to recruit new gang members if they must commit a crime to join.
Email Headaches for Texas Regulators
The Texas insurance department is looking into why hundreds of emails on home insurance rates were rejected.
Top 25 U.S. Reinsurers in 2011
Despite 2011 catastrophe losses, the reinsurance sector ended the year with a dedicated capital position that was slightly up at around $178 billion. Examining the stable premium assumed from non-affiliates, PC360 has ranked the top 25 U.S. reinsurers for 2011.
About-Face on Financial Services Deregulation
The man, Sandy Weill, who broke the Glass-Steagall wall that separated financial institutions now says big banks should be broken up.
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