DeSantis v. Disney: New round, few words with Florida governor's latest salvo

John Kennedy
Updated ·3 min read
27
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

TALLAHASSEE – A single paragraph unveiled Tuesday shows how Gov. Ron DeSantis hopes to try to muscle the Walt Disney Company – again.

An amendment sponsored by DeSantis ally Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, to the senator’s own bill (SB 1604) on land use would effectively set the stage for overturning a deal Disney recently crafted which neutralized the governor’s takeover of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. 

Reedy Creek was the special taxing district created by the Florida Legislature in 1967 that granted Disney self-governing power over its soon-to-be-built Walt Disney World, which changed Central Florida forever.

But DeSantis targeted Disney and Reedy Creek for payback after company officials opposed parental rights legislation last year which critics had dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.” He appointed his own board members to a renamed Reedy Creek, which was reconstituted as the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Board.

DeSantis claimed victory over the company by signing the takeover law in February, on the eve of the launch of his book, “The Courage to Be Free.”

DeSantis' victory shortlived: DeSantis enacts Disney punishment, appoints oversight board on eve of book launch

A prison at Disney? Ron DeSantis touts new bill to assert control over Disney, suggests building prison near resort

Sunshine shade for DeSantis: DeSantis trying to halt Trump's momentum in Florida after congressional endorsements

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, right, speaks at a news conference as Wilton Simpson, Commissioner of Agriculture listens, at the Reedy Creek Administration Building Monday, April 17, 2023, in Lake Buena Vista. DeSantis and Florida lawmakers ratcheted up pressure on Walt Disney World on Monday by announcing legislation that will use the regulatory powers of Florida government to exert unprecedented oversight on the park resort's rides and monorail. (AP Photo/John Raoux) ORG XMIT: FLJR104

The governor, expected to soon formally kick off his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, has been traveling the country since for book-signing events, which amount to a shadow presidential campaign.

Disney, though, appeared to have the last word.

Earlier this year, just weeks before the new DeSantis board members were named, the Disney-controlled board in one of its final actions, approved a development agreement that effectively keeps the company in full command of its 25,000 acres of property in Orange and Osceola counties.

The new DeSantis-appointed board looked destined to have little to do and the governor was widely ridiculed when news of Disney’s maneuver broke last month.

But DeSantis on Monday traveled to the outskirts of Walt Disney World to tout his latest move aimed at punishing the company by reasserting his board’s power. He also hinted at being ready to overhaul the theme park, Florida’s biggest tourist mecca and one of its biggest economic drivers.

More: Disney embarrassment is the latest setback for DeSantis as his presidential glow dims

“People are like: ‘What should we do with this land?’” DeSantis said. “People have said maybe create a state park, maybe try to do more amusement parks, someone even said, like maybe you need another state prison. Who knows? I just think that the possibilities are endless, so that is now going to be analyzed to see what would make the most sense.”

Ingoglia’s amendment, set to be heard Wednesday by the Senate Rules Committee, gives the new board power to vote to reject the development agreement its predecessor members had approved.

But if approved, which looks certain with a compliant Republican-controlled Legislature, the latest Disney swipe by DeSantis is likely to end up in court, amid questions over the state retroactively approving laws to punish a single company.

DeSantis, meanwhile, is being blistered by former President Donald Trump, who in most polls remains the favorite for the Republican presidential nomination.

“DeSanctus is being absolutely destroyed by Disney. His original P.R. plan fizzled, so now he’s going back with a new one in order to save face,” Trump said on Truth Social, unveiling a new nickname for the governor.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also raised doubts Tuesday about the governor’s conservative credentials and his ability to be president.

“I don’t believe Ron DeSantis is a conservative, based on his actions toward Disney,” Christie said. “Where are we headed here now, that if you express disagreement in this country, the government is allowed to punish you? To me, that’s what I always though liberals did.”

John Kennedy is a reporter in the USA TODAY Network’s Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jkennedy2@gannett.com, or on Twitter at @JKennedyReport

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: DeSantis-Disney: Amended bill is the latest Reedy Creek response