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

Michael MolineOctober 11, 2017

House leaders see the recovery from Hurricane Irma as an opportunity to investigate whether state regulations are getting in the way. The issue came up Wednesday during hearings before the Energy & Utilities Subcommittee. “Are there any regulations, whether laws that we’ve passed or administrative procedures the PSC might have put in place, that might […]

Michael MolineOctober 10, 2017

Will Hurricane Irma inspire the Legislature to light a fire under the Public Service Commission’s (PSC) efforts to buttress the electric grid against powerful storms? Likely. But it’s too soon to know what changes might help. That picture emerged during hearings before Tuesday before the Senate Committee on Communications, Energy, and Public Utilities: Regulators won’t […]

Michael MolineOctober 10, 2017

Assignment of benefits reform was among the first topics tackled by the Senate Banking & Insurance Committee Tuesday as it began preparing for the 2018 Legislative Session. A panel of interested parties, invited to debate points of contention, appeared to agree that so-called AOB agreements ought to be in writing, and that a deadline should […]

Michael MolineOctober 2, 2017

James Kotas is leaving FCCI Insurance Group to lobby for Darden Concepts Inc., a national restaurant chain with brands that include The Capital Grille, LongHorn Steakhouse, and Olive Garden. He becomes a manager of state and local government relations for 23 eastern states. The department will comprise three employees, including Kotas’ counterpart on the West Coast. […]

Michael MolineSeptember 27, 2017

Citizens Property Insurance Corp. faces $1.2 billion in losses following Hurricane Irma, Board of Governors chair Christopher Gardner reported Wednesday. “Please recognize that this is an early estimate, and this number will probably change,” Gardner told board members during a telephone conference call. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, meanwhile, reported 577,918 claims against all insurers […]

Michael MolineSeptember 19, 2017

Insurance claims from Hurricane Irma now have surpassed $2 billion, the Office of Insurance Regulation announced Tuesday. As of 4 p.m. Monday, 372,281 claims represented $2,168,674,31 in dollar losses. A little more than 6 percent of those claims have been closed already. Insurers rejected another 8,300. You can drill down into the data here. The […]

Michael MolineSeptember 18, 2017

State regulators have received notice of more than 335,000 insurance claims since Hurricane Irma hit Florida, mostly concentrated in Central and South Florida, with losses nearing $2 billion. The bottom line as of 4 p.m. Sunday was 335,347 claims, according to the Office of Insurance Regulation. Total estimated insurance losses were $1,954,947,889. The data were […]

Michael MolineSeptember 15, 2017

You probably don’t have to worry about your insurance company’s ability to pay claims arising from Hurricane Irma. Do worry about a shortage of adjusters to help them calculate your losses. That could inflate the cost of managing claims. Fred Karlinsky, co-chairman of the insurance regulatory and transactions practice at Greenberg Traurig, said Florida insurers […]

Michael MolineSeptember 13, 2017

Some 8,000 Irma-related insurance claims have landed with Citizens Property Insurance Corp. — and counting. That was the number as of 9 a.m. Wednesday, company spokesman Michael Peltier said. Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation was tallying claims filed but had not yet posted the numbers on its website. Citizens, established by the Legislature as the […]

Michael MolineSeptember 13, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott has ordered a three-month freeze on insurance rate increases for homeowners struggling to recover from Hurricane Irma — plus a three-month grace period for policyholders who received non-renewal or cancellation notices just before the storm hit. “Due to the devastating effects of Hurricane Irma, Floridians should be focused on getting back to […]

Michael Moline
A sign that reads, Gaza Solidarity Encampment, is seen during the Pro-Palestinians protest at the Columbia University campus in New York, Monday April 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

Republicans see Irma as an opportunity to review energy regulations

Senators eagerly waiting hard facts on how the power grid stood up to Irma

Senate begins search for consensus on AOB reform

Personnel note: James Kotas exiting FCCI for role with Darden restaurant chain

Citizens Insurance faces $1.2 billion in Irma claims; total insurance hit is $3.7 billion

Irma-related claims now over $2 billion

State: Insurance losses post-Irma near $2 billion

Fred Karlinsky predicts insurers will turn to international sources for Irma payouts

Citizens Insurance reports 8,000 claims and rising as policyholders return home

Rick Scott blocks insurance premium hikes, cancellations during Irma recovery