DeSantis, Speaker Renner prepared for ‘legislative options’ in Disney battle
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – The Walt Disney Company and Florida government are continuing to spar in a battle that started over a year ago when the Parental Rights in Education Act was pushed and signed into law by state Republicans.
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board, which was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and encompasses Walt Disney World after the outgoing Reedy Creek Improvement District, recently found that the prior board entered far-reaching agreements that hamper their authority over Disney.
In February, the previous board approved covenants and contracts that gave Disney control over development rights.
Those contracts were approved days before DeSantis signed a law to strip Disney of its special privileges and create a newly-formed board, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, to oversee Disney.
After that development, some thought that war was over and Disney emerged victorious.
The “shocking” agreements “bind the hands” of the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, according to lawyers for the district.
Shortly after, DeSantis ordered an inspector general investigation into the dealings.
“These collusive and self-dealing arrangements aim to nullify the recently passed legislation, undercut Florida’s legislative process, and defy the will of Floridians,” DeSantis said in a letter to the inspector general.
The governor said the Reedy Creek board’s actions “appear to suffer from serious legal infirmities,” including inadequate notice, improper delegation of authority, and ethical violations such as self-dealing.
“I formally request that you, as the Chief Inspector General of the State of Florida, in consultation with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, launch a thorough review and investigation into the actions of the [Reedy Creek Improvement District] Board of Supervisors described above.”
In an email, deputy press secretary for DeSantis Jeremy Redfern said that “all legislative options are back on the table.”
House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, expressed the same sentiment.
“Having played by its own rules for decades, @Disney has doubled down to keep it that way, in an attempt to evade a newly created board that would bring public accountability similar to every other business,” he said. “As a result, all legislative options are now back on the table.”
In responding to news of the investigation and mounting energy from state Republicans to explore additional legislation against Disney’s influence, CEO Bob Iger said the new efforts are “anti-business.”
“Our point on this is that any action that thwarts those efforts simply to retaliate for a position the company took sounds not just anti-business, but it sounds anti-Florida,” Iger said.
“A company has a right to freedom of speech, just like individuals do. In effect, he seeks to punish a company for its exercise of a constitutional right. And that just seems really wrong to me.”
