Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Tuesday, January 25
Jan 25, 2011
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Florida Chamber pushes insurance bill
The Florida Chamber of Commerce today urges the Florida Senate Banking and Insurance Committee to pass a bill they say would bolster the property insurance market.
Florida lawmakers renew efforts on property insurance bill
Florida lawmakers are going back to work on a property insurance reform measure they believe will help state pay claims after a major hurricane or series of storms.
Father in law accused of paying alleged arsonist to set Titusville house on fire surrenders
Told investigators he wanted insurance money
Investigators said the father-in-law of a suspected arsonist has surrendered in connection to what police said was an intentional house fire.
Orlando pain clinic moratorium gets first-round approval
An ordinance that would put a temporary moratorium on new pain-management clinics in Orlando was approved in the first of two rounds of votes by city leaders Monday.
Miami part of Medicare strike force
Health care fraud recovery tops $4 billion
The government’s health care fraud prevention and enforcement efforts recovered more than $4 billion in taxpayer dollars in fiscal year 2010, according to a report released Monday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Justice.
Floridian Carol Browner to leave the White House
Carol Browner, the most influential Floridian in the Obama administration, reportedly will leave her job as the president’s chief advisor on energy and global-warming issues.
Blog: Governor Scott asks for more time to write his budget
Governor Rick Scott has asked for a weekend reprieve from the Feb. 4 deadline for submitting his budget to lawmakers, the long-awaited proposal that Scott has promised will both close the state’s $3.6 billion budget shortfall and make good on his campaign promises to slash taxes.
Florida Governor Scott enters redistricting fight
Three days after taking office, Governor Rick Scott abruptly put the brakes on Florida’s federal request to start phasing in two redistricting constitutional amendments overwhelmingly passed by voters last fall.
Florida House challenges redistricting amendment
The Florida House is asking to join a lawsuit challenging a new state constitutional amendment on congressional redistricting.
Blog: Democrats outraged over Scott secret withdrawal of redistricting amendments
UPDATE: A spokesman for Governor Rick Scott responded to his withdrawal of redistricting amendments for federal approval.
‘Legal,’ ‘Illegal’ Blur at Immigration Hearing
Florida businesses, activists link arms in battle against stricter enforcement
Representatives of the state’s largest business lobbies, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Florida, met before a special Senate committee gathering information and taking the state’s pulse on immigration, all to get ready for the 2011 legislative session.
Scott turns to campaign staffers to fill agency jobs
Just a few short months ago Christopher Chaney was holding two jobs: He was a legislative analyst for a lobbying firm while also working as head waiter at a downtown Tallahassee restaurant.
Hunt for next Department of Transportation chief draws 46 applicants
After extending the search two times now, there are now 46 applicants seeking to become Florida’s next Department of Transportation secretary.
Counties please builders, but critics say taxpayers will pay
Governments that long relied on impact fees charged to developers are backing off from charging the fees as a way to stimulate construction and the economy.
Florida Ethics Commission May Walk Away From $300,000 Owed in Fines
Governor Rick Scott and Florida lawmakers are struggling to find dollars to close a $3.6 billion budget shortfall, but a state agency is considering walking away from more than $300,000 in fines owed by almost 300 former public officials.
Sentence reform could save state money
A Texas lawmaker came to Tallahassee to give lawmakers advice about prison reform — help those with addictions stay out of prison.
Both Governor Rick Scott and legislative leaders have pledged to offset the state’s nearly $4 billion budget shortfall with cuts to the prison system.
Statute meant to protect jobs isn’t enforced
As state senators mull an immigration crackdown, they learn that a state immigration law hasn’t been enforced in 11 years.
Illegal immigration either costs or saves Floridians billions of dollars. It’s inspired by racism. Or it’s a fight to stop slave-labor wages.
Blog: Florida Representative Mack fundraising for Senate run?
Representative Connie Mack, R-Naples, appears to be preparing for a U.S. Senate run in 2012 – though he doesn’t outright say it, only referring to his “next opportunity” and attacking his potential Democratic opponent while asking donors for up to $125,000 in an email obtained by Politico:
Nevada lawmaker Questions Governor Sandoval’s Plan To Securitize Insurance Tax
A proposal in Governor Brian Sandoval’s budget to raise $190 million in revenue by securitizing the state’s insurance premium tax was called “questionable fiscal discipline” today by Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford.
Georgia bill would bar work compensation benefits for illegal immigrants
State senators in Georgia filed legislation Monday that would ban illegal immigrants from receiving workers compensation benefits.
Insurers are scouring social media for evidence of fraud
If someone receiving disability benefits for a bad back brags on Facebook or Twitter about finishing a marathon, chances are their insurance company will find out and stop the checks.
Now there’s another reason to be careful about what you post on Facebook: Your insurance company may be watching.
How to Reduce Mold Contamination Claims
Unusual weather systems are resulting in record amounts of rainfall in cities nationwide. When all of that precipitation results in natural disasters such as floods, excess moisture and standing water can lead to the growth of mold in homes and other buildings. In fact, mold can begin to develop in as little as two days on wet floors, walls, furniture, and other places where it may not be visible.
Measuring the Full Impact of Teen Driver Crashes
The impact of teen driver crashes extends far beyond teen drivers’ families and friends, according to a new report.
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