Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) told Disney this week that special deals that benefitted the entertainment giant for years were “over.” The potential 2024 GOP candidate made the comment after Disney announced that it would sue the popular governor.
The fight between the governor and Disney reached a new height last week when the corporation announced that it would be suing the governor over a number of changes DeSantis led.
Disney alleges that the governor engaged in a “relentless campaign to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint unpopular with certain State officials.”
DeSantis signed HB 1557, the Parental Rights in Education into law last year. The bill restricted the teaching of gender identities and orientation topics for young schoolchildren.
The company issued a statement that the bill “should have never been passed and should never have been signed into law.” Disney said that its “goal” is to assist in repealing or overturning the law.
DeSantis said that Disney’s promise to reverse the law was “fundamentally dishonest.”
The governor worked with the state legislature to adjust the longstanding agreement that gave Disney near-free reign in the former Reedy Creek Improvement District and replace it with a board appointed by the governor.
Disney attempted to retain initial control over the area through unique legal language, stating that the company would effectively retain control “until 21 years after the death of the last survival of the descendants of King Charles III.”
The governor said that Disney had originally promised to create residential communities as part of their special governance agreement.
However, DeSantis said that the company “never followed through” with such agreements in building and running Disney World.
He added that “they just have to understand the party is over for them.”
DeSantis said that the company had received “60 years of privileges that no other corporation in America has had.”
To MSNBC’s dismay, Floridians support @RonDeSantisFL ending Disney’s corporate kingdom.
“I’m definitely on DeSantis’ side. Go woke, go broke…They’re trying to infiltrate the children.”
“I think he’s doing the right thing.” pic.twitter.com/yrPXFlo3jc
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) May 3, 2023
Disney called this new agreement “appropriate” while the new board appointed by DeSantis plans to challenge the decision in court.
