Florida State Senate Approves Bill That Would Eliminate Walt Disney World District

The feud between Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and The Walt Disney Company continued in public Wednesday as the Florida State Senate passed a bill that would eliminate the state’s Walt Disney World special district.

The legislation, which was voted on during a special session of the legislature focused on redistricting, was introduced by Republicans after Disney opposed Florida’s highly controversial Parents’ Rights in Education Act, dubbed by the critics such as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

“Today I am announcing that we are expanding the call for what they are going to consider this week. And yes, they will consider the congressional map, but they will also consider the termination of all the special districts that were enacted in Florida prior to 1968, and that includes the Reedy Creek Improvement District,” DeSantis said Tuesday, referring to the Disney district.

The Florida Senate approved the bill on a 23-16 vote, and it is expected to make it to the House quickly for a vote on Thursday.

If passed by the House and signed into law, it would end the special district that Walt Disney World uses to operate as its own municipality and could spark a court battle over the future of theme parks.

ABC News is owned by The Walt Disney Company, which also owns Walt Disney World.

State Rep. Randy Fine, the measure’s sponsor, was on the committee Wednesday to field questions from colleagues about the bill, with some asking if the intent was to target the Walt Disney Company.

Congressman Carlos Guillermo Smith asked Fine what would happen to the other special districts that would be eliminated by the legislation and whether they would become “victims of this vendetta against Disney.”

Fine responded by saying that Republicans were investigating all special districts, not just Disney.

The Reedy Creek Improvement District is one of six districts the bill would eliminate. It spans 25,000 acres and oversees its own land use and environmental protection, as well as providing essential public services such as emergency medical services and fire protection.

Disney’s status became the subject of DeSantis’ public scrutiny after the media conglomerate spoke out about Florida’s new law limiting the teaching of gender identity and sexual orientation in classrooms that DeSantis signed into law late of March. The Walt Disney Company promised to help appeal. that.

“Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill should never have been passed and should never have been signed into law. Our goal as a company is to have this law repealed by the legislature or struck down in court, and we remain committed to supporting national and state organizations working to achieve that. We are dedicated to defending the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country,” a Disney spokesperson said in the statement. weather.