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

Michael MolineFebruary 23, 2017

Insurance interests are up in arms about a House committee’s approval of a bill that would allow plaintiffs to recover prejudgment interest on noneconomic claims, including pain and suffering. HB 469 says that plaintiffs who prevail in lawsuits could collect interest — at a rate now set a 4.9 percent, but varying with inflation — […]

Michael MolineFebruary 23, 2017

A lively debate on governing principles broke out Thursday as a House committee voted unanimously to ask the voters to raise the threshold for amending the Florida Constitution. HJR 321 would require approval by 66 2/3 percent of the voters to change the state’s foundational document. At present, that requires 60 percent approval. Sponsor Rick […]

Michael MolineFebruary 22, 2017

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The House Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee OK’d eight member requests for state funds Wednesday, including programs boosting technical training for people not headed to college and a veterinary lab at the University of Florida. As did chairmen of other budget panels reviewing member projects (see here and here), Larry Ahern of the higher ed panel […]

Michael MolineFebruary 22, 2017

The House won’t pursue a proposal to change the way the state reimburses nursing homes caring for Medicaid patients — at least, not this year. They think the program is not quite cooked yet. “Although we like the idea of a prospective payment system … perhaps the calculations that were done in that study don’t […]

Michael MolineFebruary 22, 2017

The House Transportation and Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee began voting on nearly $500 million in member project bills Wednesday, as its chairman warned that the panel’s approval does not guaratee a project will make it into the final House budget bill. “Our point here is to try to vet these to the extent we can in the […]

Michael MolineFebruary 21, 2017

Bills that would require unanimous jury votes to impose the death penalty, and ask voters whether to impose term limits on appellate judges, were headed to the House floor following their approval Tuesday by the House Judiciary Committee. The death penalty bill attracted a single “no” vote, and that was from Democrat Joe Geller, who said […]

Michael MolineFebruary 21, 2017

A Senate committee approved bills Tuesday that would encourage Florida insurers to write flood insurance as an alternative to expensive federal coverage, and would allow patients to sue HMOs for declining to cover doctors’ treatment recommendations in bad faith. “Why shouldn’t the HMOs be held liable for the decisions they make and the doctors aren’t […]

Michael MolineFebruary 21, 2017

Nothing emerged during a numbers-crunching exercise by state economists Tuesday to change the economic picture the Legislature will confront this year — growth in tourism and slack housing starts will offset each other as overall growth produces about $31 billion in general revenues. “Those are going to compensate for each other. So, overall, you end […]

Michael MolineFebruary 20, 2017

Is Sen. Bill Nelson up for a contested Democratic primary in his re-election bid next year? “You want to do a contest on pull-ups or push-ups?” Nelson replied to a reporter who asked that question during an informal news conference in Tallahassee Monday. News reports have mentioned Tim Canova, who tried and failed to replace Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Congress, former U.S. […]

Michael MolineFebruary 20, 2017

The top legislative priority for Florida’s nursing homes this year is to kill a proposal, backed by Gov. Rick Scott, to repeal a requirement that they demonstrate a demand for new beds before they can expand or build new facilities. SB 676, by Rob Bradley, and CS/HB 7 by Alex Miller, and would eliminate the certificate […]

Michael Moline

House panel would allow interest payments on noneconomic verdicts

House panel votes to raise the bar for proposed constitutional amendments

Higher education budget chair favors vocational training as voting begins

House won’t change nursing home reimbursement formula this year

House Transportation and Tourism panel begins vetting member projects

Judicial term limits, death penalty bills clear final House committee votes

Flood insurance, HMO liability legislation clear Senate committee

State economists see tourism growth canceling out lagging housing starts

Bill Nelson seems undaunted by prospect of primary challengers

Nursing homes fighting plan to eliminate certificate of need program