Michael Moline, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Michael MolineMay 15, 2018

Attorney General Pam Bondi filed a racketeering lawsuit Tuesday, blaming five major pharmaceutical companies for instigating the opioid drug crisis and alleging “a campaign of misrepresentations and omissions” about the powerful painkillers to doctors and consumers. Bondi’s office filed the 54-page complaint in Pasco County, which it identified as among the state’s hardest hit areas, […]

Michael MolineMay 14, 2018

Details of insurance claims gleaned for the ongoing battle against assignment of benefits (AOB) abuse are “trade secrets” that should be shielded from public view, a new lawsuit says. Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Co. recently filed in Leon County Circuit Civil court against the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR), seeking to block it from complying with a public records […]

Michael MolineMay 8, 2018

Citizens Property Insurance Corp. will transfer $1.42 billion in risk to the reinsurance and capital markets — a move its leadership said would leave it with reserves sufficient to cover a major storm. The policy, adopted unanimously during a telephone conference call of Citizens’ board of governors, “will allow us to face the upcoming wind […]

Michael MolineMay 3, 2018

Large electric customers and local governments complained about communications meltdowns and urged large-scale “undergrounding” of Florida’s electric infrastructure during the second day of Public Service Commission workshops about hurricane preparedness and restoration. Public Counsel J.R. Kelly seconded the motion regarding the communications problems during and following Hurricane Irma, when customer calls crashed utilities public information switchboards […]

Michael MolineMay 3, 2018

Thank God for Mississippi. And Oklahoma and Louisiana. Those are the only states that fared worse than Florida on a national health care survey released Thursday. Florida ranked No. 48 overall among the 50 states and District of Columbia on The Commonwealth Fund’s 2018 Scorecard on State Health System Performance. Among categories, the state ranked […]

Michael MolineMay 2, 2018

Among the most significant obstacles to strengthening Florida’s electric transmission grid against hurricanes is a lack of access to telephone poles. Utilities rely on thousands of poles statewide that they don’t control. Other obstacles include trimming trees that might fall onto transmission lines. Complaints about those problems featured prominently during Florida Public Service Commission hearings on hurricane […]

Michael MolineApril 30, 2018

An appellate court has rejected attempts by Florida’s last-chance workers’ compensation insurer to deny coverage to a company that manages payrolls for “talent” in the movie, television, and radio commercial industries. The Florida Workers’ Compensation Joint Underwriting Association Inc. had twice sought to deny coverage to American Residuals and Talent Inc., or ART, arguing that […]

Michael MolineApril 30, 2018

An appellate court has rejected a community group’s challenge to premium levels for Citizens Property Insurance Corp. customers in Monroe County. State law provides no avenue for the formal administrative challenge sought by Fair Insurance Rates in Monroe Inc., a unanimous three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee concluded on Monday. The […]

Michael MolineApril 24, 2018

Daytona Aircraft Services had a beef with its workers’ compensation carrier — it believed the insurer had misclassified its operations, and that the mistake was costing $18,000 per year in inflated premiums. The company presented its case Tuesday before the Florida Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, an independent forum overseen by the state Office of Insurance […]

Michael MolineApril 23, 2018

Florida’s 39-member Constitution Revision Commission is catching flak for “grouping” items among the eight proposals it has voted to place before the electorate. For example, the first item combines victims’ rights, a judicial rule of statutory interpretation, and the judicial retirement age. Brecht Heuchan, the businessman-lobbyist who chaired the CRC’s Style and Drafting Committee, believes […]

Michael Moline

Pam Bondi lawsuit accuses opioid industry of racketeering

Info used to combat AOB abuse triggers lawsuit over ‘secrets’

Citizens Insurance board OK’s $1 billion-plus reinsurance plan

Customers clamor for ‘undergrounding’ during PSC storm-hardening workshop

Lack of Medicaid expansion hurts Florida in national health care rankings

PSC examines progress of storm-hardening Florida’s electricity grid

Court opines on workers’ comp, actors’ payroll firm

Court rejects Keys residents’ challenge to Citizens rates

Workers’ compensation appeals board parses risk for thousands of companies

The CRC’s Brecht Heuchan defends ‘grouping’ in proposals sent to voters