Regulation/Legislation

Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon has rejected State Farm’s request for a statewide 14.3 percent homeowners rate hike and approved a reduced rate increase for Louisiana Citizens Insurance Corp., the state’s last resort insurer.

This year’s massive Florida property insurance reform bill has made its way through the Senate Budget Committee, but changes to the bill irk industry representatives.

A House panel will conduct a second hearing on the National Flood Insurance Program April 1 and mark up draft legislation April 6, according to officials briefed on the plan.

Employers are increasingly being confronted with users of medical marijuana on the payroll. Thus far, the courts have sided with the right to terminate or deny employment, but employers are still being advised to shore up drug policies to avoid liability from potentially impaired workers.

As demonstrated by the case of Lilly Ledbetter, which spawned the Fair Pay Act of 2009, what appears a non-issue today might not be tomorrow. This makes the purchase of employment practices insurance vital for small and midsize businesses, according to Burns & Wilcox Manager Dick Weaver

While proposed statutes may fuel an increase in lawsuits against employers who allow bullies to work for them, right now it’s not illegal to be a jerk at work, according to employment practices liability experts.