The battle over the Disney district
The Senate voted 26-9 to approve a bill giving DeSantis the power to appoint the five-member Reedy Creek Improvement District and change its name to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District to more accurately reflect its function, said Sen. Travis Hutson, who shepherded the House bill through the Senate.
“I don’t think this is hostile takeover over a private company,” Hutson, R-Palm Coast, said, addressing concerns raised by Democratic lawmakers that this is a power grab by DeSantis. “The governor can put anyone on the board he thinks is qualified. They are going to have really intelligent, really brilliant people on this board who make sure they do what they are supposed to do.”
The battle over Reedy Creek came shortly after Disney’s former CEO spoke out in opposition to the “Parental Rights in Education” law, dubbed by critics as “don’t say gay,” which limits instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity in schools, after Disney employees raised concerns about the bill.
DeSantis pushed for abolishing the district after the company opposed the law.
“This all seems like a retaliation by the governor at Disney for voicing concerns about the LGBTQ community,” Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, said. “Removing a business’s independence for voicing concerns of its own employees is just wrong.”
Democrats also were concerned about who would wind up on the board. The only requirement for board members is that they be Florida residents and not have worked directly or indirectly for a theme park within the past three years.
But supporters said anyone could apply for the board seats, and the governor’s choices would be vetted by the Senate. Most Republicans who spoke in favor of the bill said it was a long overdue update for increased accountability and to take away extraordinary privileges granted to Disney.
But Sen. Doug Broxson, R-Pensacola, made it clear he was motivated by Disney’s decision to engage in the political fray. “It was Disney’s decision to go from an apolitical, safe, 25,000 acres and get involved in political life,” Broxson told fellow senators. He said Disney has “changed terms of the agreement, and we will put some terms around what you do.”