Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been extremely vocal about saying Disney needs to stay out of politics.
What's Happening:
- The Orlando Sentinel shared that on Thursday, DeSantis expressed his support for ending Disney’s "special privileges" in Florida, saying the entertainment giant’s political sway is waning.
- DeSantis has been battling with the Walt Disney Company over its opposition to HB 1557, which is officially named Parental Rights in Education.
- At an event in West Palm Beach, DeSantis said, "As a matter of first principle, I don’t support special privileges in law, just because a company is powerful, and they’ve been able to wield a lot of power."
- His comments came after Rep. Spencer Roach, R-North Fort Myers, tweeted that lawmakers had met twice to discuss repealing a 1967 state law which allowed Walt Disney World to establish its own independent government through the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
- Both Roche and Disney have not responded to a request for a comment.
- DeSantis did not list any specific policy proposals but did mention a last-minute exemption that the company got in legislation last year. He says this is an example of their special treatment.
- Lawmakers excluded companies that operate theme parks from a bill that sought to stop social media outlets from de-platforming political candidates.
- State Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill Had said at the time of this exemption was aimed at making sure Disney+ streaming service "isn’t caught up in this."
- DeSantis called out Disney and said it was ridiculous and embarrassing, but public records showed his legislative affairs director served as a liaison between Disney and lawmakers.
- DeSantis said that he had signed the bill because he didn't want to "throw the baby out with the bathwater."
- A spokeswoman for DeSantis did not respond to an e-mail where they were asking the governor's office if their involvement ended in the Disney carve-out and whether he would support repealing the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
- Over the years, Disney has had a large influence on lawmakers and is a major donor to Florida Republicans, who control the state government.
- State lawmakers granted Disney unprecedented control over its theme park property in 1967, forming the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
- HB 1557 bars classroom instruction on "sexual orientation or gender identity" for grades kindergarten through three or in a manner that is not "age appropriate." Many critics say the legislation is vague and targets the LGBTQ community.
- DeSantis thinks that lessening Disney's influence in Florida politics would be a good thing for the state.
- "I just don’t think you have very many people in the Legislature anymore who are going to be able to defend a lot of what has been done over many, many years to really have them almost govern themselves in some of these things," DeSantis said. "You know, that was probably never appropriate to start, but it’s certainly not appropriate now."