Republicans walk out of Orange legislative meeting, derail Disney repeal bill

Three Republican state lawmakers walked out of Orange County’s legislative delegation meeting Wednesday, derailing consideration of a Democratic effort to repeal Gov. Ron DeSantis’ takeover of Disney World’s special district.

Sens. Jason Brodeur and Dennis Baxley, along with Rep. Doug Bankson, left the meeting just before a vote on restoring Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District.

Their departure caused the delegation to lose its quorum. They didn’t mention the Disney bill before leaving but said they were upset with the delegation’s rules for picking leaders.

The remaining Democrats voted 7-0 to advance the bill, but they later discovered they didn’t have enough members present. As a result, the vote was invalid and will need to be redone, said Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani, who chairs the delegation.

“It’s disrespectful to the staff who spent hours preparing for this meeting and to the more than 100 members of the public who signed up to speak,” she said of the walkout. “I can only assume this was less about delegation rules and more about Republican lawmakers not wanting to take a vote on restoring Reedy Creek.”

The yearly delegation meeting is an opportunity for the public to address their elected representatives, but seven of the 14 members missed some if not all of the meeting. Three Republicans did not attend, and another three left before the lunch break. One Democrat also was absent.

Brodeur said he was upset about a rule that requires the delegation’s leadership to have at least 50% of their district in Orange County. That makes elected officials without a majority of their district in Orange County ineligible to lead the delegation.

“I don’t want to participate in a kangaroo court for whom the outcomes are already pre-determined,” he said. “This is silly. … It absolutely discriminates and limits minority access to leadership roles.”

He added, “anybody who needs to contact me knows how to find me,” and then he left.

Reached by phone after he left the meeting, Baxley said the Disney bill had nothing to do with the decision.

“This whole idea that some people are not to be included is disturbing when you are duly elected,” Baxley said. “We are equal, but some are more equal than others. I don’t like that.”

Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, said the walkout won’t stop her from introducing a bill to undo DeSantis’ takeover of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. She said the delegation plans to consider it again next week, along with electing new officers.

“They haven’t discouraged me or derailed me yet,” Stewart said. “They can’t stop me.”

Proposed bill, ballot initiative seek to undo DeSantis’ Disney district takeover

The bill, though, faces steep political odds in Tallahassee. The GOP-dominated Legislature voted overwhelmingly in favor of overhauling the district. It also would face a DeSantis veto if it did somehow pass the Legislature.

The three Republicans who didn’t attend Wednesday’s meeting were Reps. Carolina Amesty, Susan Plasencia and Paula Stark. Democratic Rep. Bruce Antone also missed the meeting.

Eskamani said she was told Amesty couldn’t attend because of a family emergency, Stark was sick, Antone was at a conference and Plasencia did not give a reason.

Lawmakers will start their 60-day legislative session on Jan. 9.