Gov. DeSantis speaks in Lake Buena Vista
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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Gov. DeSantis spoke to the media in Lake Buena Vista on Thursday.
The Florida governor was joined by Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly at the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) Administration Building.
In 2023, DeSantis established the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District as a direct replacement for the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which the governor signed a bill to disband back in April 2022 as part of his public feud with the Walt Disney Company.
The CFTOD oversees around 25,000 acres in Orange and Osceola counties, including Walt Disney World.
Disney recently appealed a judge’s dismissal of its free speech lawsuit over what the company described as DeSantis’ retaliatory takeover of the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
Disney is arguing the legislation signed by DeSantis and passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature was in direct retaliation for the company’s opposition to the “Parental Rights in Education” law, which critics labeled the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
The appeal is one of several legal battles between the company and the state of Florida. Prior to the transfer of power from the Disney-appointed Reedy Creek board to the governor-appointed CFTOD, the Reedy Creek Improvement District signed agreements that transferred design and construction control at Disney World to the company, a move the governor-appointed board said neutered their power.
You can watch the governor’s news conference on this page at 10:30 a.m.
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