Politics
NEW: DeSantis Signs Bill Stripping Disney of Their Self-Governing Status in Florida
On Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new bill into legislation to stop Disney board member’s from taking advantage of certain tax laws.
The bill’s intent is to create a state board to oversee the governance of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which is the governmental jurisdiction that includes Walt Disney World. The new board will have the authority to investigate complaints, issue subpoenas, and make recommendations to the Florida Legislature.
The move comes after concerns were raised about the Reedy Creek Improvement District’s lack of transparency and accountability. The bill was supported by Disney, which owns a significant portion of the land within the district.
The changes strip Disney of its control over the district, ultimately doing away with many of the company’s self-governing powers. Rep. Fred Hawkins, R-St. Cloud, sponsored the legislation.
The legislation allows DeSantis to appoint members, who are confirmed by the Senate, to the district’s board. The Reedy Creek Improvement District will be renamed the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
“The state of Florida is the new sheriff in town,” DeSantis said. “We’ve created a state control board that is going to be responsible for this area.”
“Disney’s gonna be treated like Sea World is treated.”
“From a policy perspective, how do you give one theme park its own government and then treat all of the other theme parks differently? And so we believe that was not good policy,” Desantis claimed.
BREAKING: Gov. Ron DeSantis announces signing of Reedy Creek bill finalizing stripping Disney of special privileges, appointing a state board, and ensuring debts are not transferred to taxpayers
"Disney's gonna be treated like Sea World is treated." pic.twitter.com/aJexecjJ7V
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) February 27, 2023
It was also leaked earlier that Former Disney CEO Bob Iger reportedly privately complained that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was putting pressure on him and the company to take a stronger stance against the “woke left” in the state.
Iger reportedly made the comments in relation to his decision to cancel a book written by a prominent Florida journalist critical of DeSantis. The journalist alleged that Iger’s decision was due to pressure from DeSantis and other Florida Republicans.
The incident highlights the ongoing tensions between corporate entities and conservative politicians over issues of free speech and political correctness.
In his upcoming book titled “The Courage to be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for American Revival,” set to be published by HarperCollins on Tuesday, Governor Ron DeSantis shares a conversation he had with former Disney CEO Bob Chapek. The conversation, which took place in the spring of 2022 during a heated fight over Florida’s education law, is detailed in a chapter exclusively shared with Fox News Digital.
DeSantis wrote, “As the controversy over the Parental Rights in Education bill was coming to a head, Chapek called me. He did not want Disney to get involved, but he was getting a lot of pressure to weigh in against the bill.”
During a shareholder meeting, Chapek revealed that on March 9th, he personally contacted Governor DeSantis to implore him not to sign a bill that would limit the teaching of gender and sexuality to students in kindergarten through third grade.
DeSantis told Chapek, “People like me will say, ‘Gee, how come Disney has never said anything about China, where they make a fortune?’”
“Behind the scenes, I was not, as a father of children ages five, four, and two, comfortable with the continuation of Disney’s special arrangement. While the Walt Disney Company and its executives had a right to indulge in woke activism, Florida did not have to place the company on a pedestal while they do so—especially when the company’s activism impacted the rights of parents and the well-being of children,” DeSantis wrote.
DeSantis has yet to announce whether or not he’ll run for president in 2024.
