Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Tuesday, August 11
Aug 11, 2009
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BLOG: Sink “very disappointed” in timing of McCarty report
It’s been two weeks since CFO Alex Sink asked Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty to come back to the Cabinet with a report explaining McCarty’s claims that 40 new insurers with over $4-billion in capital have come to the property insurance market.
CFO Sink’s New Workers Comp Whistle-Blower Site Already Producing Big Results
Florida CFO Alex Sink today announced that her new workers comp whistle-blower website which allows citizens to submit referrals of alleged violations of workers compensation rules has already produced hundreds of new complaints and over $500,000 in penalties since its launch less than two months ago.
Florida Cabinet Appoints Tom Cardwell As New Office Of Financial Regulation Commissioner
The Financial Services Commission, comprised of the governor and Cabinet members, today appointed J. Thomas Cardwell as the new Commissioner of the Florida Office of Financial Regulation.
Florida ranks No. 3 in percentage of uninsured people
Florida, where tempers flared at a town hall meeting on health care reform Thursday, has more at stake than most states in the debate over covering the uninsured.
Florida Cabinet OK’s first new nuclear plant in 33 years
The Florida Cabinet on Tuesday approved Progress Energy’s controversial proposal to build a nuclear plant in Levy County, the first such plant approved in Florida in 33 years. The vote by Gov. Charlie Crist, Attorney General Bill McCollum and Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink comes as Progress seeks to raise its base rates by 30 percent to pay for the nuclear plant, which would not be up and running until at least 2018.
Stan Jordan resigns to run for state Senate
Duval County School Board member Stan Jordan announced Monday he will join a field of Republicans looking to fill the state Senate seat of late Jim King.
Candidates lining up to fill King’s state Senate seat
Jacksonville City Councilman Art Graham and Duval County School Board member Stan Jordan indicated Monday they will run in a special election to replace the late state Sen. Jim King, but another potential candidate said he will stay out of the race.
Crist has work cut out for him in choosing Martinez replacement
U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez’s abrupt resignation paints Gov. Charlie Crist into a tight political corner as he searches for a temporary replacement.
Florida last in stimulus spending
Gov. Charlie Crist, hailed as a model of bipartisanship when he reached across the aisle to support President Obama’s economic stimulus plan, now faces criticism for failing to aggressively secure and spend Florida’s share of the federal bailout.
Florida revenues $46 million in the black — for now
Shortly after Gov. Charlie Crist warned about getting too optimistic about a slight uptick in state revenues, one of his top budget lieutenants was arguing that the financial outlook should be a great deal better than legislative experts were willing to predict.
Florida loses population for the first time since World War II
The growth state is officially shrinking.
Hit by a double-whammy of the housing crash and the recession, Florida has lost population for the first time since the demobilization of hundreds of thousands of soldiers after World War II.
Drilling push spells Florida Cabinet drama
With a growing push to let four elected officials decide if drilling for oil and natural gas can occur within 10 miles of Florida’s coast, the issue could become a defining one for candidates seeking the sometimes obscure seats on the Cabinet.
Former Tallahassee lobbyist, Florida Supreme Court Justice Wade Hopping dies
Long-time Tallahassee lobbyist and one-time Florida Supreme Court Justice Wade Hopping died today, aged 77.
Former Florida legislator Roberta Fox dies
Roberta Fulton Fox, a Coral Gables feminist and attorney who pushed women’s and children’s issues in both houses of the Florida Legislature, died of breast cancer at her home on Sunday. She was 65.
Texas Windstorm Pool Reports Waiver Surcharge Commission Change
The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) reported that HB 4409 passed by the 81st Legislature, requires several changes for TWIA policies.
U.S. Senators file bill to hold foreign companies responsible for tainted Chinese drywall
Bipartisan legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate aims to help victims of tainted Chinese drywall hold foreign manufacturers more accountable for their defective products.
Agents, Meteorologists Gear Up for Annual Texas Hurricane Tour
For the fourth year in a row insurance spokesmen will team with meteorologists from the National Weather Service and independent insurance agents to warn Texas coastal residents of the potential dangers of hurricanes.
North Carolina Recovers $6.5M for Members of Workers’ Comp Pool
North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin says that $6.5 million will be returned to 661 former members of the Phoenix Fund Inc., a self-insured workers’ comp fund that was put into rehabilitation nearly three years ago.
Clunker Title Reporting Help From ISO
Insurance Services Office announced it has launched a new service to help auto junkyards comply with federal regulations to keep track of vehicle titles and also report under the Cash for Clunkers program.
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