Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law this Friday a bill that strips waltdisney Co of autonomous authority in its Orlando-area parks, in retaliation for its opposition to a new law that limits the teaching of topics LGBTQ in the schools.
The Republican-controlled Legislature passed the bill on Thursday, which will eliminate the special government jurisdiction that allows the company to operate. Walt Disney World Resort like your own city.
In some 10,000 hectares, the company manages four theme parks, two water parks and 281 kilometers of paths.
Disney’s special status “was really an aberration,” DeSantis said at a news conference signing the bill into law. “No individual or business in Florida is treated this way.”
Disney did not immediately comment on the enactment of the now law.
While the financial impact on the company and the state is uncertain, the change could disrupt how Disney operates its sprawling empire in Central Florida and undermine the close relationship it has enjoyed with the state for more than 50 years.
The governor said Friday that Disney would pay more taxes as a result of the law, though he did not elaborate.
DeSantis is a possible 2024 Republican presidential candidate who has courted conservative voters on issues like immigration, abortion and LGBTQ rights.
With his latest move against Disney, DeSantis is attempting to burnish his conservative credentials by showing he’s willing to stand up to what he described as a California-based “activist” company that doesn’t share Florida values.
Disney initially did not publicly oppose the LGBTQ legislation last month, drawing criticism from that community and some employees. The company later condemned the law, saying it would suspend political donations in Florida pending a review.
The law, dubbed “don’t say gay” by critics, bans classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity for children in kindergarten through third grade. DeSantis backed the measure, saying it would give parents more control over their children’s education.
Opponents call it a thinly veiled attempt to marginalize gay and transgender students, or children of gay parents.
While the bill appears to be an attack on Disney and Orlando’s sprawling theme parks, experts say the financial impact of the legislation on the company and the state is unclear at this stage.
DeSantis rushed the bill through the statehouse, pushing it through within three days of a special session, but it won’t go into effect until June 2023, giving both sides time to adjust to the new reality.
The law dissolves the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which was created in the 1960s to attract Disney World to the state after the much smaller Disneyland became a successful theme park in California.
For more than half a century, the district has allowed Disney to function as county government, providing services such as fire suppression, electricity, water and roads within Orange and Osceola counties. In turn, Disney may issue tax-advantaged bonds to pay for the improvements.