Monorail system is the latest target of DeSantis’ campaign against Disney
TALLAHASSEE
Florida’s Republicancontrolled Legislature gave Gov. Ron DeSantis two more tools in his fight against Walt Disney World, sending him bills Wednesday and Thursday that increase state oversight of the monorail system and another bill to nullify development agreements entered into by the company.
They are the latest reversals for a Legislature that for decades has not only stayed clear of antagonizing the entertainment giant but has benefited from its political contributions and economic machine — even scheduling contracts Disney signed with the former governing board that regulated its Orlando-area properties. The vote was mostly along party lines with Sen. Joe Gruters of Sarasota the only Republican to vote against the bill.
On Wednesday, the House sent to the governor HB 1305 on a vote of 83-32, also along party lines, to authorize the Florida Department of Transportation to inspect Disney’s monorail system, the only privatelyrun system in the state. Current law requires FDOT to inspect government-owned fixed-guideway systems and systems that are privately owned but funded all or in part by the state.
As Democrats asked why the state was singling out a private company, Republicans pointed to the fact the monorail system has had one fatality — when an operator was killed in a collision between trains on the EPCOT line — and several accidents.
“There was an incident in 2009 where a death occurred, but FDOT [Florida Department of Transportation] is looking at inspecting this so we know what issues do arise,” said Rep. Shane Abbott, R-DeFuniak Springs, the sponsor of the House bill. “We don’t know what we don’t know right now.”
Senate Transportation Chairman Nick DiCeglie, R-Indian Rocks Beach, said the inspection mandate was “a very reasonable” requirement for “a monorail system that carries 150,000 people a day.”
But Democrats called out Republicans for enacting the measures on be