Life and politics from the Sunshine State's best city

Tag archive

Insurance Commissioner

Anitere Flores: Insurance Commissioner should be elected

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

State Sen. Anitere Flores is calling for the state’s Insurance Commissioner to be elected. Flores, a Miami Republican, issued a statement Tuesday. She referred to current “discontent” with the Office of Insurance Regulation. Over the last year, GOP lawmakers have unsuccessfully pushed to return other officers to elected positions from appointed, including Education Commissioner and Secretary of State. Those positions were made appointed in the state constitution after recommendations by the 1997-98 Constitution Revision Commission. The Florida Cabinet shrank from six members to…

Keep Reading

Paul M. Anderson: Stereotypes won’t help Florida workers – or produce real reform

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

As the chair-elect of the Workers’ Compensation Section of the Florida Bar, I believe it is important to correct misconceptions and misstatements made by the head of the Florida Chamber regarding Florida’s workers’ compensation system and the attorneys who represent injured Floridians. In a recent column, Mark Wilson and the Chamber suggest the workers’ compensation rate increase approved by Florida’s new Insurance Commissioner benefits only “billboard trial lawyers.” Nothing could be further from the truth. The commissioner approved a ridiculous…

Keep Reading

Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier has rare chance to bust Florida workers’ comp cartel

in Peter/Top Headlines by

Florida’s new insurance commissioner has a rare, meaningful and high-stakes opportunity to earn his chops and establish his credibility for years to come. He can demonstrate he has the mettle to stand up to the insurance industry to the benefit of both consumers and the business community. How often does that happen? Just three months into his tenure in one of the most consequential jobs in Florida, state Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier can flex his regulatory muscle and prove his…

Keep Reading

Today on Context Florida: Testy Cabinet, John Kirtley, Bernie Sanders and kids at the theater

in Apolitical/Top Headlines by

Today on Context Florida: Peter Schorsch talks about the testy process of choosing a new state Insurance Commissioner. Among the four top statewide officials, no one walked away a winner from last week’s battle. Neither Gov. Rick Scott nor CFO Jeff Atwater got the candidate he wanted, with both settling on the third name Atwater threw out at Friday’s emergency Cabinet meeting, David Altmaier. Interestingly enough, the process was a design that Atwater himself, a former lawmaker and Senate president, once…

Keep Reading

Insurance interests “look forward” to new commissioner

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

Insurance-related concerns reacted with cautious optimism to Friday’s naming of David Altmaier as Florida’s new Insurance Commissioner. “The Personal Insurance Federation of Florida is committed to working with the new commissioner to increase the health and stability of the property and casualty insurance market in Florida,’’ Executive Director Michael Carlson said in a statement. The group represents Allstate, Castle Key, Progressive and State Farm insurance companies in Florida. It says its members write “nearly half of all auto policies in Florida…

Keep Reading

Stormy times: Florida officials squabble over insurance pick

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

Thanks to an arcane state law, Florida could enter hurricane season with no one firmly in charge of the state agency responsible for regulating the state’s at-times fragile insurance industry. The reason? The two Republican elected officials responsible for picking a new commissioner are locked in a stalemate over who should be hired to replace outgoing Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty. Gov. Rick Scott and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater have been backing rival candidates for the job, which has delayed…

Keep Reading

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

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

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 job at Revenue does not have statutory qualification requirements. Nevertheless, one could assume that many of those seeking the job have significant managerial, financial or tax experience…

Keep Reading

1 2
Go to Top