The company is seeking to preserve its ability to control the 43-square-mile region that includes Disney’s central Florida hotels and theme parks, including Magic Kingdom and Epcot. The lawsuit was filed in Tallahassee just minutes after the DeSantis-appointed oversight board voted to invalidate changes that the Disney-aligned Reedy Creek supervisors made in January. “This is the United States, the government is not supposed to abuse its power to punish dissenters or critics,” he said. Will Creeley, legal director for the nonpartisan Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said “the escalation of this dispute signals a troubling willingness by the governor to punish those who disagree with him.” Reedy Creek officials in January adopted a new development deal giving Disney authority over its land use until at least 21 years after the death of the last surviving descendant of Britain’s King Charles III.ĭeSantis and his allies were stunned and quickly moved to reverse those changes. He handpicked members for the new board - filling it with cultural conservatives and political allies - only to learn that the outgoing Reedy Creek supervisors had preemptively undercut the state’s power. DeSantis has since pushed to expand the prohibition to all public school grades.ĭisney, under pressure from employees, opposed the law, saying, “It could be used to unfairly target gay, lesbian, nonbinary and transgender kids and families.” The company said it would reassess its political contributions.ĭeSantis lashed out, launching a year-long effort to strip Disney of its self-governing powers for its parks - sweeping privileges the company has enjoyed since 1967, when Florida officials were thrilled to let Disney turn miles of swampland into a bustling hub.ĭeSantis signed legislation in late February that allowed the state to take control of the Disney-controlled Reedy Creek Improvement District and replace it with a tourism oversight board. ![]() ![]() ![]() The feud began last year after Disney spoke out against Florida’s so-called Don’t Say Gay legislation, which banned discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.
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