In a case that centers on whether online travel company Expedia could subpoena Rep. Rick Kriseman, a Tallahassee-based appeals court Thursday said state lawmakers have broad immunity from testifying about their legislative actions.

The ruling, by a three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal, could set a precedent in Florida. But the judges said it follows longstanding legal principles and also reflects the separation between the legislative and judicial branches of government.

State regulators Tuesday unanimously approved Florida Power & Light's proposal to build a nearly $1.2 billion power plant in Broward County, saying it is the best way to meet the utility's future needs.

The project would replace four idled, 1960s-era generating units at the Port Everglades complex and would start cranking out electricity in 2016. FPL argued that the new plant, primarily fueled by natural gas, would be more efficient and would help provide power to the utility's huge South Florida customer base.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to take up appeals of four Florida lawsuits that will force R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. to pay tens of millions of dollars to the families of dead smokers.

The cases, part of a flood of tobacco litigation moving through Florida's courts, were the first of their kind to reach the Supreme Court. One of the cases involved a $28.3 million judgment in an Escambia County case, while another totaled $15.75 million in an Alachua County case.

Revisiting an issue that has drawn heavy debate in the insurance industry, state officials on Thursday heard arguments about new regulations on adjusters who are hired by property owners to handle claims.

The proposed rules deal with "public" adjusters and insurance-company adjusters. They delve into issues such as advertising, advice that adjusters can give to property owners and even how adjusters should deal with seniors.

Gov. Rick Scott and the state Cabinet agreed Tuesday to spend $580,000 to help expand The Grove historic site in Tallahassee, despite a lawsuit by a Scott political opponent who says he has a deal to buy the land.

The Grove, near the governor's mansion north of downtown Tallahassee, was built in the 19th century by Richard Keith Call, who served as a territorial governor before Florida became a state. It later became home to the late Gov. Leroy Collins and his family.

Florida's overhaul of the Medicaid system likely will take longer than expected, with some beneficiaries not enrolled in HMOs or other types of managed-care plans until 2015, according to a revised state timeline.

A 2011 law and documents submitted in August to the federal government indicated that seniors who need long-term care would be shifted into health plans by Oct. 1, 2013, and that the broader population of Medicaid beneficiaries would follow by Oct. 1, 2014.

Trying to transform Medicaid into a statewide managed-care program, Florida health officials face dozens of questions from the federal government about how the plan would work.

The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services sent a list of questions in January, more than five months after Florida submitted proposals to shift hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries into HMOs and other managed-care plans.

After a decade of legal and political fights, Florida senators gave final approval Thursday to a $10.75 million claims bill that would compensate Eric Brody for brain injuries he suffered in a 1998 car crash with a Broward County sheriff's deputy.

The House and Senate overwhelmingly approved the bill, SB 4, after Brody's attorney and lobbyists agreed to waive their fees -- removing the last potential obstacle in the Legislature.

Florida lawmakers Wednesday passed a plan to increase scrutiny of the sales or leases of public hospitals, after months of debate stemming from hospital deals that went awry.

The House and Senate passed a compromise plan, HB 711, that would lead to the secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration reviewing potential sales or leases.

Senators earlier proposed giving that role to the state chief financial officer, while the House wanted to allow circuit judges to sign off on hospital deals. Gov. Rick Scott, who appoints the AHCA secretary, objected to those ideas.