The ongoing feud between Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis and the Walt Disney Company has taken a new turn. This week, lawmakers in Tallahassee will gather to finalize their efforts to strip Disney of its special governing powers over the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
The Reedy Creek Improvement District is an elected board that gives Disney control over the land in and around its central Florida theme parks. The feud between the two began last year when Disney’s then-CEO Bob Chapek publicly criticized the state for passing a bill to restrict certain classroom instruction of sexual orientation and gender identity.
In response, Governor DeSantis called lawmakers into a special session last year to dissolve Reedy Creek by mid-2023. At the time, the state did not have a plan for what came next.
This week, Governor DeSantis laid out a legislative framework for the state to assume control of the district. He said the state will not have a corporation controlling its own government and that Disney will no longer have governing self-governing status. He also said that Disney will have to pay its fair share of taxes and pay its debt.
The special session will begin on Monday and is expected to make changes to the Reedy Creek Improvement District. It remains to be seen how this will impact Disney and its theme parks, but one thing is certain: this ongoing feud between the state of Florida and the entertainment giant is far from over.
Source: www.cnn.com