Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Wednesday, March 26

Mar 26, 2014

 

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 events scheduled for today.

 

 

Daily Florida Insurance-Related News

 

Bills giving construction projects in Keys a carve-out for Citizens coverage progressing in Legislature

Construction projects making substantial changes to buildings in the Florida Keys could once again be eligible for property insurance coverage from state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corporation under bills that passed through committees in both chambers of the Legislature on Tuesday, The Florida Current’s Gray Rohrer reports.


Citizens Property Insurance critic:  Lawyers charging more, doing less

A 2012 contract with a West Palm Beach law firm was billed as helping state-run insurer Citizens better handle sinkhole lawsuits, but records show a third fewer cases were settled in 2013 and average monthly litigation costs more than doubled, Charles Elmore reports for the Palm Beach Post.

 

Citizens Property Insurance chief discusses progress

Citizens Property Insurance President and CEO Barry Gilway recently met with the Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board to tout progress at Citizens under his leadership, including a sharp reduction in its total policies and measures to keep employees in line.  

 

PCI’s Donovan Brown:  Sans storms, Florida property insurance market continues to stabilize

The Florida property insurance market is starting to benefit from the recent enactment of reforms addressing the rising costs of property insurance and an eight-year span without a major hurricane hitting the state, says PCI’s Donovan Brown in the Palm Beach Post.

 

Scott backs bill allowing concealed guns without permits in emergencies

A measure backed by the National Rifle Association that would allow people to conceal a firearm without a license during an emergency now has the open support of Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida National Guard but is still on hold in the Senate, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA reports via the Orlando Sentinel.

 

Local bail bond company lobbies for tax break

With the help of an Orlando lawmaker, a local bail bonds company is lobbying the Florida Legislature for a new tax break, Jason Garcia reports for the Orlando Sentinel.

 

Bill expanding medical powers for nurses passes Senate committee

The Senate Health Policy Committee just barely voted in favor of a bill that would expand medical authority to advanced practice registered nurses despite staunch opposition from some panelists, The Florida Current’s Arek Sarkissian reports.

 

House looks for more oversight of agencies’ rulemaking, inspectors general

A pair of bills unanimously passed through the House Government Operations Subcommittee on Tuesday attempt to place more authority of state agencies in legislative hands, The Florida Current’s Gray Rohrer reports.

 

Florida Supreme Court Allows County Clerks to Post Records Online

No longer, the Florida Supreme Court has ruled, will men and women have to take off from work or worry about when the courthouse closes just to see their records, Andrew Pantazi reports for the Florida Times-Union.

 

Unknown company to get $21 million to expand in Brevard

A state budget commission unanimously voted Tuesday to give $20.8 million in taxpayer funds to “Project Magellan,” an economic development project in Brevard County, The Florida Current’s Gray Rohrer reports.

 

Retired soccer star David Beckham attempts to bend lawmakers

Retired soccer star David Beckham got a rock star welcome at the Capitol Tuesday as he visited legislators to talk up his plans for putting a soccer stadium at PortMiami, The Florida Current’s Bill Cotterell reports.

 

National Weather Service:  Flash Flood Warning System in Oklahoma Lacking

A new report assessing last May’s tornadoes in Oklahoma says the National Weather Service needs to develop a protocol for when there are multiple severe weather events, Associated Press reports via Insurance Journal.

 

IRS Expects Glitches by Firms Reporting Under New Anti-Tax Evasion Law

A new U.S. anti-tax evasion law, set to take effect on July 1, will encounter “inevitable glitches,” said the head of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service on Monday, adding that the IRS will be sympathetic to banks doing their best to comply, Reuters reports via Insurance Journal.​

 

 

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