After it emerged last week that Disney pulled a fast one on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) - by enacting a new rule that any changes to the company's long-held special taxing district in Orlando 'must be made to benefit Walt Disney world' - weeks before DeSantis announced a hand-picked board to take over the district, DeSantis on Thursday promised a new round of action against Disney.
Items on the table include looking at taxes on Disney's hotels, and imposing tolls on roads that serve its theme parks, Politico reports.
The DeSantis administration is also looking at whether they can dismantle the agreement made by the outgoing board - asking his chief inspector general on Monday to conduct a "thorough review and investigation" into actions that "undercut Florida’s legislative process, and defy the will of Floridians."
"They are not superior to the people of Florida," DeSantis told a crowd at Hillsdale College. "So come hell or high water we’re going to make sure that policy of Florida carries the day. And so they can keep trying to do things. But ultimately we’re going to win on every single issue involving Disney I can tell you that."
Disney "tried to pull a fast one on the way out the door," DeSantis said during a breakfast earlier in the day hosted by the Midland County Republican Party of Michigan. "That story’s not over yet. Buckle up. There’s more coming down the pike," he added.
The rapid escalation between Disney and DeSantis this week comes in the aftermath of a Central Florida governing board that had been controlled by Disney passing a series of agreements that ensured Disney would keep a large degree of power despite a new law passed in February that created a new board controlled by the governor.
The moves stunned the DeSantis administration and the governor’s hand-picked board, which has since hired lawyers to examine whether it should challenge the legality of the agreements -Politico
Disney CEO Bob Iger told shareholders earlier this week that Florida's actions were retaliatory, as well as "anti-business" and "anti-Florida."
Florida's spat with Disney began after the company opposed a state law which prohibits the instruction of sexual orientation and gender identity until the third grade, and allows for "age appropriate" instruction in older grades. In response, DeSantis and Florida GOP lawmakers eliminated the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the special taxing authority which gave Disney control of the land surrounding its Orlando-area properties. Republican lawmakers in control of the state legislature voted to fire the board overseeing the district and gave DeSantis power to name all five replacements. The move also renamed the district as the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, and reduced its powers.
