Florida Legislature Aims to Officially Eliminate Disney’s Self-Governing Status

The Florida legislature is slated to officially eliminate Disney’s self-governing status in the current Special Session, “dissolving the Corporate Kingdom and beginning a new era of accountability and transparency,” according to Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) office. 

DeSantis’s office released a statement on the upcoming agenda items related to the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which gives what the DeSantis office said “gifted extraordinary special privileges to a single corporation.”

“Until Governor DeSantis acted, the Walt Disney Company maintained sole control over the District. This power amounted to an unaccountable Corporate Kingdom,” the statement continued, explaining that the legislation will permanently eliminate Disney’s self-governing status as well as impose a “state-controlled, term-limited board” with members appointed by the governor. 

It will also make sure that Disney pays over $700 million in unsecured debt and make it so the state can levy taxes on Disney for infrastructure projects even outside of the District’s lines, per the governor’s office. 

It added that it:

• Provides no control of the district to the leftist local government in Orange County, which threatened to leverage the situation to raise local taxes.
• Imposes Florida law so that Disney is no longer given preferential treatment.
• Prevents Disney from gaining more land by eminent domain.
• Creates an avenue to compel Disney to contribute to local infrastructure

The DeSantis administration’s war with woke Disney hit a breaking point last year after the supposedly family-friendly organization vowed to fight the Parental Rights in Education law, which in part prevented classroom discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity on children in kindergarten through third grade. At the time, Disney described a repeal of the law as a goal of the company.

“And I also think that you have companies like a Disney that are going to say and criticize parents’ rights —  they’re going to criticize the fact that we don’t want transgenderism in kindergarten and first grade classrooms,” DeSantis said in response to Disney’s hypocrisy. 

“If that’s the hill they’re going to die on, then how do they possibly explain lining their pockets with their relationship with the Communist Party of China?” DeSantis asked.

 “Because that’s what they do, and they make a fortune, and they don’t say a word about the really brutal practices that you see over there at the hands of the CCP,” he added. 

In April 2022, DeSantis signed legislation that aimed to dissolve Disney’s special tax and governing jurisdiction. 

“The corporate kingdom has come to an end,” DeSantis’ communications director, Taryn Fenske, told Breitbart News of the proposed plan.

“Under the proposed legislation, Disney will no longer control its own government, will live under the same laws as everyone else, will be responsible for their outstanding debts, and will pay their fair share of taxes,” Fenske added.