Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Thursday, January 23

Jan 23, 2014

 

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Daily Florida Insurance-Related Events

 

There are no insurance-related events scheduled for today.

 

 

Daily Florida Insurance-Related News


Florida’s Citizens Insurance Policy Clearinghouse Set To Begin Monday

An electronic clearinghouse system, expected to keep Citizens Property Insurance Corp. from all but the riskiest homeowners’ policies, is set to go live Monday, Escambia.com reports.

 

Florida Insurance Commissioner McCarty:  Auto insurance rates dropping, too

Right on the heels of a report claiming property insurance rates were falling for many companies across the state; Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty released another report Wednesday showing auto rates are dropping as well, The Florida Current’s Gray Rohrer reports.

 

Seminole homeowners become flood insurance pioneers

Joe and Beth Ann Chapman are pioneers in a different way, inking documents that made them the first Florida homeowners to buy a flood policy through the first homeowner insurer approved to sell such coverage in the wake of Florida’s flood insurance crisis, Jeff Harrington reports for Tampa Bay Times.

 

University of South Florida:  Higher tides from climate change likely to make hurricane flooding worse

High tides have been getting higher and low tides lower at cities around the Gulf of Mexico, according to a new study produced in part by scientists at the University of South Florida, Craig Pittman writes for Tampa Bay Times.

 

For Florida, a weak flood insurance delay, but a big win for citrus in federal budget

Last week’s congressional passage of an omnibus spending bill gives Florida two victories of sorts — though both fell short of hopes, especially on property insurance, the Bradenton Herald Editorial Board writes.

 

Scott to release state budget proposal next week

THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA reports via the Tampa Tribune that Florida Governor Rick Scott will release his 2014-15 budget proposal on January 29.

 

Scott shifts Piepenbrink to external affairs as O’Rourke departs

Gov. Rick Scott has a new director of external affairs: Brad Piepenbrink will take the place of the departing Carrie O’Rourke, one of the original members of his administration.  Tampa Bay Times’ Steve Bousquet blogs the update originally published by THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA.

 

House speaker’s race for 2020 is already off and running

Eric Eisnaugle, a 36-year-old Republican from Arcadia isn’t a member of the Legislature but he is already campaigning to be speaker of the the Florida House in 2020, the Miami Herald’s Mary Ellen Klas reports via “The Buzz” blog.

 

Scott says he wants $130 million for Everglades as environmental groups rally for clean water

Governor Rick Scott announced Wednesday that he’s requesting $130 million for Everglades restoration and cleanup projects in fiscal year 2014-15, which is a $60 million increase from the current state budget, The Florida Current’s Bruce Ritchie reports.

 

Study:  Florida leads nation in tea party membership

Florida, the nation’s third-largest state, edges out the top two, California and Texas, because of the number of tea party members per capita and number of tea party organizations, William March reports in the Tampa Tribune’s “Fresh Squeezed Politics” blog.

 

Florida alimony reform supporters rally around documentary film

Scheduled to show through Thursday, a new movie is part of an aggressive push to change Florida’s alimony laws, Kathleen McGrory reports via the Bradenton Herald.

 

Fitch:  Personal Lines Rate Increases to Moderate, but Stay Ahead of Loss Trends

Personal-lines insurers should show year-over-year profit improvement when they report 2013 results, and the combined ratio for both personal auto and homeowners should come in under 100, according to a Fitch Ratings personal-lines dashboard update, National Underwriter’s Phil Gusman reports for PropertyCasualty360.com.

 

Reinsurance at a Crossroads as New Factors Sweep Away Old Habits

A significant number of reinsurance treaties were renewed this month, heavily concentrated in property catastrophe coverage. It’s become apparent, however, that this market, for a number of reasons, has seen changes that have set it on new paths and perhaps into uncharted waters, writes Charles E. Boyle for Insurance Journal.

 

 

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