Florida’s chief financial officer went to the Legislature this spring with a simple request: grant additional protections to customers dealing with property insurance companies. But the push by Jeff Atwater is in serious jeopardy. That’s because insurers, such as State Farm Florida, are only willing to accept the added protections
TALLAHASSEE — The 2014 Florida Legislature reaches its midpoint on Wednesday. Lawmakers are moving forward on a $75 billion state budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. They have already sent Gov. Rick Scott a bill cutting motorist fees by $400 million. Some bills are already dead, including an
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Senate is backing a bill to entice private insurance companies to sell flood policies in the state that’s the most vulnerable to storm surge. The Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed the bill (SB 542) sponsored by Sen. Jeff Brandes, a Republican from St. Petersburg. It heads
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. “It appears they are charging us more while doing less,” said state
Following up on a law passed last year, Gov. Rick Scott has appointed Tavernier banker Bette Brown as a consumer representative on the Citizens Property Insurance Corp. Board of Governors. Lawmakers last year approved a wide-ranging Citizens bill that included giving the governor authority to name a board member who “serves solely
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. Concrete evidence that the insurance market is moving in the right direction was noted just a month ago when Florida
The debate that dominated last year’s legislative session hasn’t gone away. Hospitals, powerful business alliances and grassroots advocacy groups still believe Florida should access the billions of federal dollars available for Medicaid expansion. The difference between this year and last: Nobody wants to talk about it. House Republicans, who blocked a similar move in
Florida Senate President Don Gaetz (R-Niceville) today delivered remarks before the Florida Senate marking the Opening Day of the 2014 Legislative Session. President Gaetz’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below. Every teacher, Senator Legg, Senator Thompson, Senator Bullard, Senator Hukill and even we old superintendents, Senator Montford, we all know what
STATE OF THE STATE – “DESTINATION OPPORTUNITY” Remarks as prepared for delivery: Good morning, Chief Justice Polston and distinguished members of the Supreme Court. Welcome Attorney General Pam Bondi, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. President Gaetz and Speaker Weatherford and a special welcome to Florida’s new Lieutenant Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera. To the
Welcome back to our final Session. If you kept my gift from Organizational Session, the countdown clock, you’ll note that there are 245 days left. But for all practical purposes, we’re in the final 60 days of what I hope will mark a productive, meaningful, and policy-focused second half. And