Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation in February, to end Disney’s self-governing status|Ron DeSantis|via Twitter
The battle for control over the Magical Kingdom got more intense on Wednesday with Disney suing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis alleging he orchestrated a “targeted campaign of government retaliation.”
The lawsuit was filed minutes after a DeSantis-appointed oversight board for Disney’s self-governing district voted to nullify all prior agreements that gave the Walt Disney Company authority over construction and design of its properties in that district.
Disney claimed that the board’s decision is “patently retaliatory, anti-business and unconstitutional.” It also pointed out that contracts exist with the Florida government to invest $17 billion by Disney World into the Florida theme park and create 13,000 jobs over the next 10 years.
The Reedy Creek Development District, which allowed Disney World to expand autonomously over the past 50 years, signed its power back to the corporation in February and the Florida governor’s board for it will need the Mickey Mouse founder’s approval for almost everything.
How it started
Issues sprung relating to Disney’s self-governing status of the special district it’s located in, ever since the company publicly opposed Republican DeSantis’ Parental Rights in Education aka “Don’t Say Gay” bill last year.
The bill bans Florida schools teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through 3rd grade.