Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaApril 26, 2016

A second Florida Cabinet meeting has ended with no agreement on a new state Insurance Commissioner. Gov. Rick Scott and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater again deadlocked on Tuesday, further stalling the process. In a near replay of the last meeting, an intransigent Scott again moved to hire retired insurance executive Jeffrey Bragg. An equally intransigent Atwater declined […]

Jim RosicaApril 26, 2016

And then there were four. Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet are scheduled to interview four candidates Tuesday for the position of state Insurance Commissioner. The Cabinet meeting kicks off at 9 a.m. in the Capitol. The interviews, which could result in someone being appointed at the meeting, are last on the agenda. Time […]

Jim RosicaApril 22, 2016

Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater again picked state Rep. Bill Hager and two others to be interviewed for state Insurance Commissioner at next Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting. The decision came in a Thursday email. The current commissioner, Kevin McCarty, plans to leave the post this year. Hager, a former Iowa Insurance Commissioner, is Atwater’s choice but Gov. […]

Jim RosicaApril 20, 2016

A top plaintiffs’ insurance lawyer is lauding Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty‘s offer to extend his departure, which was originally set for May 2. McCarty “staying on until a replacement is named is a massive blessing,” said Chip Merlin of the Merlin Law Group in Tampa. Merlin has built a business out of suing insurance companies that “deny, delay or underpay property […]

Jim RosicaApril 20, 2016

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Kevin McCarty is telling his bosses: You need more time? You got it. The state’s outgoing Insurance Commissioner on Wednesday wrote separate but identical letters to Gov. Rick Scott, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. He said he would delay his departure to “45 days after my successor […]

Peter SchorschMarch 21, 2016

Florida public records laws provide a treasure trove of information on candidates seeking top statewide positions, as well as a seemingly endless source of entertainment. Currently, the Florida Cabinet is seeking candidates for top jobs at both the Office of Insurance Regulation and the Department of Revenue. Unlike the Office of Insurance Regulation, the top […]

Peter SchorschMarch 16, 2016

Replacing Commissioner Kevin McCarty of the Office of Insurance Regulation is shaping up to be a challenge. Dozens of candidates, offering what can be called (charitably) a broad range of credentials, have thrown their names in the hat. So the process of choosing a new OIR leader, now that it is well underway, will prove […]

Drew WilsonFebruary 24, 2016

A bill that would require insurers to take a more proactive stance on paying out life insurance benefits cleared the Senate Wednesday with a unanimous vote. SB 966, sponsored by Fort Myers Republican Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, would require insurers to compare their policy rolls with the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File and payout benefits. Current law allows […]

Peter SchorschFebruary 17, 2016

As reported by FloridaPolitics.com earlier this week, the pool of applicants to replace outgoing Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty is so far anything but impressive. The applicant list stands at 32 interested parties, yet only three appear to be eligible based on the state’s pre-screening questions. On Tuesday, we learned that former Rep. Tom Grady would not be applying […]

Phil AmmannFebruary 9, 2016

A Senate committee Tuesday unanimously approved a bill enabling insurance companies to sell standalone sinkhole policies for damages falling short of catastrophic loss, reports LobbyTools. The bill “would allow people to go out on the market and buy sinkhole coverage, standalone, not tied to their homeowner’s insurance,” said Sen. Jack Latvala, sponsor of Senate Bill […]

Tag: Office of Insurance Regulation
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Top state officials still can’t agree on new Insurance Commissioner

Could new Insurance Commissioner be hired Tuesday?

Jeff Atwater considering three for OIR top job

Chip Merlin calls Kevin McCarty’s departure delay a ‘massive blessing’

In letter, Kevin McCarty says he’s willing to extend departure date

The Good, the Bad and the Interesting: Evaluating the applicants for Florida revenue chief

The Good, the Bad and the Interesting: Evaluating the applicants for Florida insurance commissioner

Senate passes Lizbeth Benacquisto bill to reform life insurance payouts

Bryan Nelson for Insurance Commissioner? Not so fast

Senate panel unanimously OKs standalone sinkhole insurance bill