Florida
Citizens Protest Decision for Toll Road Through Split Oak Forest Park
Published
4 years agoon
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. (FNN) – Conservation groups and local residents held a press conference to protest the recent approval of the Osceola Parkway extension through Split Oak Forest Park by the Florida Communities Trust Board (FCTB) last week.
“Citizens have strongly expressed their opposition to this project,” said Maria Revelles, director of conservation group Chispa Florida, during the conference held at the park. “In fact, 86% of Orange County voters approved a referendum that restricts the ability of the Board of County Commissioners to amend, modify, revoke or limit the use of Split Oak for conservation.”
“Changing these convictions sets a bad precedent for conservation in our state, that no protected land is truly protected,” she added.
The 1,700-acre forest was originally set aside for conservation projects, bought in 1994 by Orange and Osceola counties for $8.6 million.
But in December 2019, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and four Orange County commissioners approved the $800 million road project, which, according to Friends of Split Oak Forest president Valerie Anderson, would sever 77 acres off the park and cut off the movement of vulnerable species that live there, like gopher tortoises and Florida panthers.
“We still have several options. We can challenge it administratively…and there is a constitutional issue here, from the Florida constitution. There’s a provision called Article 10, Section 18 [called the Everglades Trust Fund] that says that conservation lands can not be disposed of without a determination that it is no longer needed for conservation,” Anderson explained.
The FCTB decision now has to go back to both Orange and Osceola county commissions for final approval.
Frank Rivera, a 21-year resident of Osceola and Chispa volunteer, called on the leaders of Orange and Osceola to uphold what “perpetuity” means.
“Words have meaning. We teach children to pledge alliance to the flag. When you go into the service, you pledge an oath to defend the Constitution. Now it seems that ‘perpetuity’ doesn’t mean ‘forever’. We know what is behind this decision. It says that this park is hardly visited, that if we have a new road more visitors will come. But what it will really mean is more cars, more houses, more businesses.”
“Just remember, four of the five districts in Osceola are Latino communities, so this is a Latino issue,” he added. “We won’t forget.”
Orange County District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson said the FCTB does not represent the people of Orange or Osceola but rather “their political appointees” and “probably have never even set foot here” in Split Oaks, so should never have been allowed to vote on the project.
“The decision they made, even with all the protections, even with all the Constitutional amendments, was not surprising to me. We knew it had to stay here where the voters could speak on this. So right now, what is going to happen next, from inside at least, is we have to listen to the voters,” she added.
José Javier Pérez, community organizer for Chispa Florida, reminded everyone that Florida was the seventh state in the United States with the most highways, over 275,000 miles. “Do we really need another highway at the expense of losing natural areas that provide invaluable natural services and improve our quality of life?” he asked.
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Juan Carlo Rodriguez is a politics and entertainment reporter for Florida National News and Assistant Editor for FNN News en Español. | info@floridanationalnews.com
Florida
Advocates Oppose Florida Medicaid Work Reporting Bill, Cite “Deathbed Exemption” and Coverage Gap Risks
Published
5 days agoon
March 2, 2026
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) — A Florida Senate committee on Monday advanced SB 1758, legislation that would impose Medicaid work reporting requirements in a state that has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Advocates say the proposal would push thousands of low-income Floridians into the state’s existing coverage gap and create new administrative barriers for people with serious illnesses.
The bill goes beyond the recently passed federal measure, H.R. 1 — known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — which exempts non-expansion states from federal Medicaid work reporting requirements. Critics argue Florida lawmakers are moving forward despite that exemption.
Bill Would Add Work Reporting and “Deathbed Exemption”
SB 1758 would require certain Medicaid recipients to document at least 80 hours per month of work or qualifying activities to maintain coverage. The bill includes exemptions, including a recently added provision that would exempt terminally ill parents only if they can prove a life expectancy of six months or less.
Sadaf Knight, CEO of Florida Policy Institute, said the amendment would require a single mother who is terminally ill and earning less than $8,000 a year to meet monthly work reporting requirements unless she can demonstrate a six-month prognosis.
“It is hard to grasp how we arrived at a policy that effectively asks someone facing the end of their life to prove they are dying quickly enough to keep their Medicaid,” Knight said.
Opponents say the proposal would increase administrative costs while stripping coverage from residents who are already working or unable to work due to caregiving responsibilities or medical conditions.
Advocates Warn of Coverage Gap, Legal and Fiscal Risks
Florida is one of 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid, leaving an estimated 260,000 residents in the coverage gap — earning too much to qualify for traditional Medicaid but too little to receive federal marketplace subsidies.
More than two dozen organizations signed a letter urging members of the Senate Appropriations Committee to reject the bill. Signatories include the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Southern Poverty Law Center, UnidosUS, The AIDS Institute, Florida Policy Institute, Florida Voices for Health and 1199SEIU.
Melanie Williams of Florida Health Justice Project called the bill “fiscally reckless,” noting that the state has already spent $1 million defending wrongful Medicaid terminations in federal court and that the Department of Children and Families has reported budget constraints in addressing court-mandated changes.
Rachel Klein of The AIDS Institute said federal law prohibits non-expansion states from implementing Medicaid work requirements and warned the measure could face legal challenges. Others argued the costs of building a new reporting system would outweigh any potential savings.
Advocates say the Legislature should focus instead on expanding access to affordable coverage amid rising health care costs and expiring enhanced premium tax credits.
Florida
Governor Ron DeSantis Unveils Statue of President James Monroe as Florida Celebrates America’s 250th Birthday
Published
3 weeks agoon
February 16, 2026
Floridians can find information on events, exhibits, heritage sites, and participation opportunities at America250FL.com, the state’s official hub for the Semiquincentennial celebration.
Florida
Attorney General James Uthmeier Announces Arrests in Central Florida Medicaid Fraud Case
Published
1 month agoon
January 28, 2026
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) — Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrests of Alexander McKinnie and Kara Morrison in connection with a scheme to defraud Florida’s Medicaid program.
“Medicaid fraud is a clear example of theft from taxpayers,” Uthmeier said. “In Florida, our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit will safeguard public funds and aggressively pursue anyone who exploits these programs.”
An investigation by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit determined that McKinnie submitted tens of thousands of dollars in fraudulent claims for non-emergency medical transportation gas reimbursements for trips that never occurred.
Investigators said McKinnie fraudulently billed Medicaid for more than $65,000 in medical services that were never provided. Morrison assisted in the scheme by submitting approximately $7,000 in false reimbursement claims.
McKinnie is charged with one count of Medicaid provider fraud exceeding $50,000 and one count of organized scheme to defraud. Both charges are first-degree felonies, punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Morrison is charged with one count of Medicaid provider fraud under $10,000 and one count of organized scheme to defraud. Both are third-degree felonies, punishable by up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines.
McKinnie was arrested by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, while Morrison was arrested by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
The cases will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney for Florida’s Eighteenth Judicial Circuit.
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