Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Nebraska Senate Advances Bill Shielding Cities from Injury Lawsuits
Apr 6 2007 // Nebraska lawmakers broke a filibuster and gave first-round approval to a bill that could open parks that have closed following a state Supreme Court decision. State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha fought the bill (LB564) that...
N.J. Court Ruling Could Affect 10,000 Drunk Driving Cases
Apr 6 2007 // A breath test used in thousands of drunken driving cases in New Jersey went on trial this week, when the state Supreme Court considered whether the instrument provides reliable blood-alcohol level readings. The outcome...
38 More Miss. Katrina Suits Settled in Mediation, Judge Reports
Apr 6 2007 // Thirty-eight more Hurricane Katrina insurance cases of Mississippi residents have been settled during court-order mediation, says U.S. District Judge L.T. Senter Jr. More mediations will begin in May, according to...
Maine Gov. Baldacci Ready to ‘Re-energize’ Dirigo Health Plan
Apr 5 2007 // Maine Gov. John Baldacci planned a major health policy announcement this week that will focus on insurance market reforms, an expansion of the Dirigo Health program and new regulatory provisions, all designed to promote...
Insurers Support Tax-Free Savings Accounts for Natural Disasters
Apr 5 2007 // Legislation that would allow homeowners to set up tax-free savings accounts for natural disasters would go a long way toward encouraging them to prepare for catastrophes, according to a national insurer group. A proposal...
Pa. Lawmaker Wants to Curb Distractions for Teen Drivers
Apr 5 2007 // A Pennsylvania lawmaker said a new survey backs up her push for legislation to cut down on distractions for younger drivers by limiting the number of passengers they may carry. State Rep. Kathy Watson, R-Bucks, told a news...
R.I. Ethics Panel Nixes Settlement with Former Senate President Irons
Apr 5 2007 // The Rhode Island Ethics Commission has rejected an offer by former Senate President William Irons to settle conflict-of-interest charges related to his business dealings with CVS Corp. After a closed-door meeting,...
Insurer Must Pay for Boy’s Breast Reduction Surgery, N.Y. Court Rules
Apr 5 2007 // An insurer that refused to pay for a teenage boy’s breast reduction on the grounds that it was cosmetic surgery must reimburse his father for the operation, an appeals court in New York has ruled. The Supreme...
Kentucky Coal Mine Widows Prove Powerful as Lobbyists
Apr 4 2007 // Claudia Cole would have considered herself an unlikely person to be a lobbyist in the state Capitol. She preferred the simple life of wife and mother. But when her husband was killed in a Kentucky coal mine, the country...
Insurers Support Limited Wind Pool Expansion in S.C.
Apr 3 2007 // Insurers have expressed support for a limited expansion of South Carolina’s wind insurance pool, as long as the state entity remains a market of last resort and does not offer rates that are competitive with private...
Ill. Judge Trims $3 Million from Chief Justice’s Defamation Verdict
Apr 3 2007 // A judge slashed $3 million from the damages a suburban Chicago newspaper must pay the chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court in a defamation case. In November, a jury ordered the Kane County Chronicle and a former...
Hartford Specialty Risk Exec Sullivan to be Conn. Insurance Chief
Apr 3 2007 // Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell is naming a claims administration executive, Thomas R. Sullivan, to be the state’s insurance commissioner, replacing Susan Cogswell who is stepping down from the top regulatory post...
New Fla. Law to Lower Nationwide’s 54% Homeowners Hike
Apr 2 2007 // An arbitration panel has approved a statewide average increase of 54 percent for homeowners rates that Nationwide Insurance requested last year – but for many policyholders it will likely be much less because of a...
Miss. Supreme Court Assigns Judges to Hear Candidate Challenges
Mar 30 2007 // The Mississippi Supreme Court has assigned judges to hear challenges by candidates disqualified by political parties for statewide or legislative office. Most of those removed from the ballot filed as Democrats, but there...
Ill. House Approves Driving Certificates for Illegal Immigrants
Mar 30 2007 // The Illinois House voted Wednesday to give illegal immigrants a way to drive legally on the state’s roads, a move supporters say will be controversial but should improve highway safety. Illinois police organizations...
Firm Releases Study of Possible La. ‘Catastrophe Fund’
Mar 30 2007 // A private firm has released its study of how Louisiana would operate a “catastrophe fund,” one of several ideas lawmakers are considering to help ease the state’s property insurance crisis. The study...
Fla. Considers Storm Supply Tax Break, New Claims Law Glitch
Mar 30 2007 // Flashlights, radios, tarps and other hurricane supplies would be tax free for 12 days at the beginning of hurricane season, under a measure the Florida House has under consideration. Floridians received a similar tax break...
Judge Rules Spitzer Suit May Continue; Liberty Mutual Not Giving Up Fight
Mar 30 2007 // Liberty Mutual has vowed to continue its court fight against charges begun by former New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer that it engaged in anti-competitive bid-rigging and broker compensation practices after a judge...
Revised Captive Laws in Effect in D.C.
Mar 30 2007 // Two changes to captive insurance laws passed by the Council of the District of Columbia went into effect on March 14, 2007. Supporters see the changes as giving captives more flexibility and making the District a more...
Tenn. House Leader Blames Republicans for Med Mal Failure
Mar 29 2007 // Tennessee House Judiciary Chairman Rob Briley on Tuesday said a compromise over medical malpractice lawsuits will not be passed because Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris reneged on part of the agreement. Briley,...
