April 14–Proponents say the time is right for Cabinet officials to approve a first-ever plan for theFlorida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund to buy private reinsurance, but opponents say it’s a better deal forBermuda financiers thanFlorida homeowners. Skeptics questioned terms disclosed less than 24 hours before a Cabinet meeting today they understand to show homeowners will pay$12.60…
TALLAHASSEE | Florida lawmakers are barred from raising campaign cash during the legislative session. But during the days and hours before the annual session started March 3, about $1.3 million poured into lawmakers’ campaign accounts — with large chunks of money coming from businesses or groups with interests in the Capitol, according to newly filed…
TALLAHASSEE – Exactly who is going to be Florida House Speaker in 2020 is probably the last thing on the minds of Central Floridians. But the subject is paramount among top Republicans all over Florida as allegations of “treason,” strong-arm tactics and a “House of Cards” mentality emerged Sunday, revealing a contentious fight over the…
State regulators say home and auto insurance rates in Florida should dip 1.5% in July, according to a report by MyFoxOrlando.com. Florida residents who pay a private insurance company for coverage on a car, motorcycle, boat or house will see savings of $15 per $1,000 of premium. Thomas Cotton, owner of Hugh Cotton Insurance in…
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Republicans easily won a trio of Northeast Florida legislative seats Tuesday during special elections triggered by the resignation last year of former Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, to become president of Florida State University. Given the GOP’s dominance in the region and the significant fundraising edge of the Republican candidates, the…
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida is trying to entice private insurance companies to sell flood policies in the state that’s the most vulnerable to storm surge. The Florida Senate voted Thursday 30-3 for the bill (SB 542) sponsored by Sen. Jeff Brandes, a Republican from St. Petersburg. It now heads to the desk of Gov.…
TALLAHASSEE — By 2007, Richard Corcoran was a well-paid and deeply entrenched Florida political operative tied to several House speakers and Gov. Jeb Bush. But, ambitious and restless, he quit his job as chief of staff to House Speaker Marco Rubio to run for office himself. “I’d get moments of frustration,” Corcoran said. “Someone finally…
AUSTIN, Texas — Florida dropped back to second place, but remains close to the top of the 18 hurricane-target coastal states in building codes in a 2015 rating report released Wednesday by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. The Institute, in an update of its 2012 findings, gave Florida 94 points out of…
TRINITY — The club with clout is suddenly the club without. The West Pasco Republican Club, a fixture in local political circles for four decades, faces a likely demise after party leaders declined to renew the group’s charter this week. The club president called it a political vendetta against one of the group’s former longtime…
We’ve all seen someone driving down the road distracted by their cell phone, food, or a GPS device. However, a recent survey of U.S. drivers reveals even more outlandish behavior happening behind the wheel. In an effort to discourage distracted driving in conjunction with National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April, Harris Poll, on…