Florida Senate Passes Bill Revoking Disneyâs Special Self-Governing Power
From The Epoch Times By April 20, 2022
Natalieâs Commentary:
Floridaâs Governor Ron De Santis is a proactive and not a reactive Governor, who has done an incredible job working very hard implementing effective policies putting his Florida constituents first and not his personal gains as a political position to take advantage of illegal corruption like so many have in the states of California, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico and New York. Those of us in between the west and the east coast with a Republican Governor will have to muddle along until real change comes to helps us. ~ Natalie
The Florida Senate passed legislation on April 20 that would remove the special tax district and self-governing status that was granted to Disney as lawmakers have criticized the company for opposing a parental rights bill.
The chamber, which was called into a special session by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, passed the bill in a 23â16 vote. The measure would dissolve Disneyâs special status within Florida, which allows the firm to self-govern its propertyâincluding Disney Worldâaround Orlando. Specifically, the measure would dismantle the 50-year-old Reedy Creek Improvement District that allows the corporation to oversee its infrastructure laws, zoning, and even policing.
The Republican-led Florida House will now take up the measure. Disney hasnât issued a public statement on the matter, and its corporate headquarters didnât respond to a request for comment by press time.
A 1967 law passed by Floridaâs House and Senate created the Reedy Creek Improvement District, but DeSantis recently told legislators that Floridaâs Constitution âgenerally disfavorsâ laws that provide special privileges to corporations.
When announcing the special session on April 19, DeSantis said lawmakers âwill be considering the congressional map, but they also will be considering termination of all special districts that were enacted in Florida prior to 1968, and that includes the Reedy Creek Improvement District,â although he didnât mention Disney by name. The legislation, if it passes in the House, would also remove privileges from six other special districts in Florida because they were set up before the stateâs Constitution was ratified in 1968.
As the Senate passed the bill on April 20, DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw told media outlets that the move to revoke the Reedy Creek Improvement District wasnât retaliatory after Disney criticized a separate measure that DeSantis recently signed into law.
âIt was unfortunate that Disney decided to wade into a political debate and attempt to overturn a common-sense law, enacted by a duly elected legislature and signed by a duly elected governor, with the support of the vast majority of Floridians,â Pushaw said. âIn fact, it was Disney that âretaliatedâ by publicly vowing to ârepealâ or have the law âstruck down.ââ
Democrats quickly criticized DeSantisâs backing of the legislation and claimed it was tantamount to retribution against Disney. Others claimed that Disney, which employs tens of thousands of people, is a major economic player in the state.
âWhat world are we living in right now?â Democratic state Sen. Audrey Gibson asked, according to The Associated Press. âItâs the freedom state of Florida. If they disagree with the governor, he brings out the Gatling gun.â
DeSantis, a Republican, has criticized Disneyâs public pressure campaign and criticism over legislation that he recently signed that prohibits classroom instruction on âgender identityâ and sexual orientation for small children.
âLook, there [are] policy disputes, and thatâs fine,â DeSantis told reporters earlier in April. âBut when youâre trying to impose a woke ideology on our state, we view that as a significant threat.â
In late March, Disney issued a statement saying that âFloridaâs HB 1557, also known as the âDonât Say Gayâ bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law.â Although the law doesnât make any reference to prohibiting saying the word âgay,â the âDonât Say Gayâ phrase has also been repeatedly used by celebrities, activists, and Democratic lawmakers since the bill was proposed.
Disney, which drew widespread condemnation for the critical comments, also said itâs âdedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country.â
The firmâs comment sparked a debate about whether corporations should have the right to political speech following the landmark âCitizens Unitedâ Supreme Court decision decades ago. But as Disney waded into the controversy, some parents groups have said that they would boycott the companyâs products and theme parks.
The Florida House of Representatives is scheduled to take up the bill on April 21.
