A high-stakes showdown between a state governor and a major entertainment corporation unfolds as the battle over self-governance and special privileges takes center stage.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis‘ recently established Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board threw a wrench in the works, nullifying last-minute agreements made between the previous Disney-appointed board and Disney itself. These deals would have granted the company unprecedented power before the new board stepped in.
In retaliation, Disney didn’t waste any time filing a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. They claim to be victims of a “targeted campaign of government retaliation.” Disney argues that the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board’s actions endanger their business operations, threaten their economic future in the region, and violate their constitutional rights.
However, DeSantis Communications Director Taryn Fenske countered Disney’s lawsuit in a statement, questioning the company’s entitlement to special privileges: “We are unaware of any legal right that a company has to operate its own government or maintain special privileges not held by other businesses in the state.” Fenske further condemned Disney’s actions as an attempt to subvert the will of Florida’s voters and operate outside the law.
On February 8, the former board signed an agreement to hand over its power to Disney. The next day, the Florida House passed legislation that renamed the Reedy Creek Improvement District to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, removed Disney’s self-appointed board, and replaced it with a governor-appointed board.
“They [Disney] are not above the laws enacted by the state of Florida,” DeSantis declared during a press conference. “They thought they could create a development agreement that would nullify everything we did. That’s not going to work, that’s not going to fly.”
DeSantis has been working closely with Republican-controlled House and Senate leaders to ensure the legislation revokes the agreement and upholds the will of the people. The governor highlighted that Florida’s recent elections demonstrated the public’s disapproval of a single corporation governing itself while others had to follow different rules.
DeSantis went on to explain that “whatever rationale there was 60 years ago” to grant Disney the special privilege to self-govern is no longer relevant in today’s competitive landscape. “We’re in a much different era as a state, with many competitors being treated differently, and numerous businesses and individuals subject to different treatment,” he said.
The 44-year-old governor firmly stated, “We don’t want to do that. We want to ensure that Disney abides by the same laws as everybody else.”
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Source: DailyWire
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