Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Thursday, September 10

Sep 10, 2009

 

To view a complete story, click on a headline below:

Above:  (Associated Press Photo) George LeMieux arrives at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., today, accompanied by his wife, Meike, and sons Max, Taylor and Chase.

 

Changes in Florida’s Citizens’ role fosters insurance industry growth

The hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005, which brought seven of the nine costliest storm systems in the history of United States, left properties in shambles and the insurance industry reeling.

 

EDITORIAL: Hurricane season in Florida

The hurricane season in our vulnerable Sunshine State is well under way and, as Rep. Bill Proctor, R-St. Augustine, said Thursday, we have enjoyed “four years of grace” without the 100-year storm in a major area that would sink Florida financially.

 

Florida’s FCCI Insurance makes AARP best employers list

FCCI Insurance Group in Sarasota is included in the AARP’s 2009 list of the 50 best employers for workers 50 and up. It is the only company based in the Tampa Bay area on the list.

 

Orlando hopes insurance policies will pay to fix fountain

Orlando city officials think they’ve found a way to pay for most, if not all of the damage from a lightning strike that zapped the Lake Eola fountain last month.

 

3.6 Million Floridians Lack Health Coverage, Census Says

Economic Pain Highlights Need for Healthcare Reform

One in five Floridians, or more than 3.6 million people, lacked health coverage in 2008 as poverty increased in the state and median income fell, according to Census Bureau data released today.

 

Florida Senate President: October Special Session ‘Unlikely’

In a memorandum to Florida Senators today, September 10, 2009, that emphasized the Florida Senate’s statutory responsibility to consider the long-term ramifications of Florida’s recently-signed Seminole Gaming Compact, Senate President Jeff Atwater called a rumored October 2009 Special Session “unlikely.”

 

Associated Industries Poll: Most Floridians support some offshore drilling

Offshore drilling proponents touted a new poll Wednesday that shows 75 percent of Floridians support offshore drilling.

 

ACORN turns in suspects in Florida voting fraud

Armed with a tip from the grass-roots group ACORN about its own workers, authorities on Wednesday began arresting 11 people suspected of falsifying hundreds of voter applications during a registration drive last year.

 

Miami legislator files complaint against Florida House speaker

Comparing House Speaker Larry Cretul to a dictator, a Miami state representative Wednesday filed a formal complaint alleging that his fellow Republican broke House rules by reshuffling committees without a vote of the full chamber.

 

Mel Martinez’s Senate swan song: Pride, regrets

In a sedate farewell address, Mel Martinez ended his truncated Senate career Wednesday with a pitch for immigration reform and a tribute to Cuban-Americans across the country.

 

SEC Charges Former CEO Of Florida Telecommunications Company For Accounting Fraud

On September 8, 2009, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil action against Timothy J. Huff, the former chief executive officer of GlobeTel Communications Corp., a publicly-traded company headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, now known as Sanswire Corp.

 

Florida’s PSC halts own BlackBerry texting

Public Service Commission Chairman Matthew Carter Wednesday ordered his agency to disable all text messaging on state-issued Blackberrys as questions continued about whether PSC staff used the devices to skirt public records laws.

 

Former Florida House Speaker Sansom, codefendants to be tried together

Former House Speaker Ray Sansom and two codefendants will be tried together on official misconduct charges, but their perjury cases will be heard separately, a judge ruled Wednesday.

 

Travelers to Cuba swarm Miami airport concourse; 200,000 expected to visit by year’s end as result of loosened policies

Nildo Herrera drew the stares of fellow passengers and airline ticket agents as he checked into his recent Havana flight at Miami International Airport wearing five hats, one atop another.

 

Economic recovery in Florida lags behind rest of U.S., Fed says

Economic activity is stabilizing or improving in most of the United States, according to a new government survey, adding to evidence that the worst recession since the 1930s is over.

 

Judge approves $20M settlement over Katrina damage

A federal judge has given final approval to a $20 million settlement of class-action lawsuits against several Louisiana levee boards

 

Massachussets Insurance chief heads to Northeastern

Nonnie S. Burnes, the state insurance commissioner who spearheaded the move to give auto insurance companies more freedom to set rates and increase competition in Massachusetts, is moving on next week after a little more than two years

 

Guy Carpenter:  Inflation Threatens Long-Tail (Re)insurance

Interest rates are low right now, so monetary inflation is not an issue in the short term for the (re)insurance market.

 

Preparation key to cut climate insurance cost

Developing and maintaining infrastructure to cope with climate change is the only way to keep insurance premiums at an affordable level, said the head of Swiss Re’s Sustainability and Emerging Risks division.

 

To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please send an e-mail to ccochran@cftlaw.com.