DeSantis allies reach settlement over who controls Disney’s governing district
Allies of Ron DeSantis reached a settlement agreement with Disney in a lawsuit over who controls Walt Disney World’s governing district, easing tensions between the entertainment giant and Florida’s governor.
Lawyers for the state had sued Disney over “11th-hour deals” that members of the district board – all company-appointed at the time – had passed before they were replaced by DeSantis appointees.
In the settlement, Disney agreed that the rules passed by the companyappointed board members are void.
Jeff Vahle, Disney World president, said in a statement that the company is “pleased to put an end to all litigation pending in state court”.
The agreement “opens a new chapter of constructive engagement with the new leadership of the district”, said Vahle, “and serves the interests of all parties by enabling significant continued investment and the creation of thousands of direct and indirect jobs and economic opportunity in the state”.
In a meeting, the members of the board of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District approved the settlement agreement, ending almost two years of litigation that was sparked by DeSantis’s takeover of the district from Disney supporters following the company’s opposition to Florida’s so-called “don’t say gay” law.
The 2022 law bans classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades and was championed by DeSantis, who used Disney as a punching bag in speeches until he suspended his presidential campaign this year.
As punishment for Disney’s opposition, DeSantis took over the governing district through legislation passed by the Republican-controlled Florida legislature and appointed a new board of supervisors. Disney sued DeSantis and his appointees, claiming the company’s free speech rights had been violated for speaking out against the legislation. A federal judge dismissed that lawsuit in January.
Before control of the district changed hands from Disney allies to DeSantis appointees early last year, the Disney supporters on its board signed agreements with Disney shifting con
trol over design and construction at Disney World to the company.
The DeSantis appointees claimed the “11th-hour deals” took away their powers, and the district sued the company in state court in Orlando to have the contracts voided.
Disney filed counterclaims that included asking the state court to declare the agreements valid and enforceable.
At a press conference on Wednesday, DeSantis claimed he and his allies had been “vindicated”.
“I’m glad that they were able to do that settlement,” the Florida governor said. “Those 11th-hour covenants and restrictions were never going to be valid. We knew that.”
In a statement, Charbel Barakat, vice-chair of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, said it was “eager to work with Disney and other businesses within central Florida to make our destination known for world-class attractions and accountable governance”.
The company had also sued DeSantis in federal court last year, arguing that the governor had been retaliating against the company for speaking out about the law, a violation of Disney’s freedom of speech. Lawyers for the state argued that lawmakers had a right to revoke special privileges it had given to the company.
In January, a Trump-appointed federal judge dismissed the lawsuit, siding with DeSantis and saying the company had no standing or merit to sue. While Disney appealed the decision in early February, the company in Wednesday’s settlement agreed to ask the appellate court to pause the appeal process, suggesting the company could eventually drop its appeal.
turn Alabama’s abortion law, one of the most stringent in the US, which outlaws abortion at any stage of pregnancy with no exceptions for rape or incest. It is only permitted in situations where the life of the pregnant person is in danger.
“Today, Alabama women and families sent a clear message that will be heard in Montgomery and across the nation,” she said in a statement. “Our legislature must repeal Alabama’s noexceptions abortion ban, fully restore access to IVF, and protect the right to contraception.”
The special election does little to tip the balance of power in conservative
Alabama, with Republicans holding a commanding 75 to 27 advantage over Democrats in the state house.
However, Democrats have hailed the victory as a further sign that restricting access to abortion has proved electorally damaging to Republicans, particularly in the sort of seat contested by Lands. The Democrat won in the state’s 10th district, which comprises parts of Huntsville and Madison, a relatively affluent and educated area of northern Alabama only narrowly carried by Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
“This special election is a harbinger of things to come – Republicans across the country have been put on notice that there are consequences to attacks on IVF – from the bluest blue state to the reddest red, voters are choosing to fight for their fundamental freedoms by electing Democrats across the country,” said Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, in a statement sent to Politico.