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Staff ReportsMarch 29, 2017

Citizens Property Insurance Corp. lost money for the first time in a decade because of water loss claims, assignment of benefits abuse, and rising litigation costs, the company said Wednesday. Staff at Florida’s insurer of last resort told its board of governors that they expect to post a $27.1 million loss for 2016. “Every year, we […]

Michael MolineMarch 28, 2017

The House public education budget would be extra kind to charter schools next year, pumping $200 million into charters specifically targeting children stuck in persistently low-performing classrooms. The money would provide grants to “charter school networks with a proven track record of serving specifically low-income students and successfully closing the achievement gap,” said Manny Diaz […]

Michael MolineMarch 28, 2017

House budget writers stuck to the plan Tuesday in rolling out details of their proposed $12.3 billion for transportation and tourism. It would eliminate economic incentives programs including Enterprise Florida, and sharply reduce spending on Visit Florida. “We’re basically following the tenets of (HB) 7005, the policy bill that was passed a couple of weeks ago,” […]

Michael MolineMarch 28, 2017

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The Florida House would spend $31.3 billion on health care programs during the next budget year, cutting money for hospitals and county health departments, but boosting spending on mental health and substance abuse programs. Chairman Jason Brodeur outlined the proposal Tuesday morning during hearings before the Health Care Appropriation Subcommittee. It was one of five […]

Michael MolineMarch 27, 2017

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A House committee voted overwhelmingly Monday to do away with personal injury protection, or PIP, insurance in Florida. The vote in the Insurance & Banking Subcommittee was 12-2, with Jay Fant and Blaise Ingoglia the holdouts. PCS/HB 1063 passed despite concerns by insurers that they need stronger protections against bad-faith lawsuits by people injured by […]

Michael MolineMarch 27, 2017

The House version of legislation to do away with personal injury protection, or PIP, insurance in Florida will get a hearing Monday before the Insurance & Banking Subcommittee. PCS/HB 1063 is 57 pages long, but here’s the thrust: Effective Jan. 1, motorists no longer would be required to maintain PIP coverage. Instead, they would insure […]

Staff ReportsMarch 24, 2017

The House will vote on a state budget on April 13, if all goes according to plan. The Appropriations Committee is to release its budget bill and related documents to senators and the public no later than 8 a.m. on March 31, according to a copy of the timeline posted by LobbyTools. The full committee […]

Michael MolineMarch 24, 2017

Legislation that would exempt medical marijuana from sales taxes would cost $24.3 million per year to Florida’s tax receipts, according to an estimate by state economists Friday. HB 1397, by Fort Myers Republican Ray Rodrigues, is one of five medical marijuana bills to enact Amendment 2 that are circulating in the Legislature. It would impose […]

Peter SchorschMarch 24, 2017

(This post has been updated, below.) What’s wrong with this picture? Carlos Beruff, chair of the Constitution Revision Commission, the panel that will undertake rewrites of the state’s governing document, says the first hearings for public input will be next Wednesday in Orange County, April 6 in Miami-Dade County, and April 7 in Palm Beach County. Did you catch […]

Michael MolineMarch 23, 2017

The Florida House voted Thursday unanimously to direct two-thirds of the $400 million the state is due from the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster to the worst-affected counties in the Panhandle. HB 7077 requires 75 percent of all payments that Florida receives from the settlement agreement between the five Gulf states and BP […]

Tag: 2017 Legislative Session
Stock image via Adobe.

Citizens Insurance lost $27.1 million during 2016; first loss in a decade

House budget would add ‘emergency’ $200 million for charter schools

House and Senate cement their differences on Visit Florida funding

House budget would cut jobs, money for hospitals and county health units

Florida House panel votes to abolish PIP insurance effective Jan. 1

House insurance subcommittee to take up repeal of Florida’s PIP mandate

House releases timetable for voting on its proposed state budget

Revenue conference prices sales tax exemption for medical marijuana

Carlos Beruff already playing calendar games with Constitution Revision Commission

House votes to steer most BP oil spill settlement money to the Panhandle