The Florida legislature voted Thursday to end Disney’s autonomous community in Orlando, in a move designed to retaliate against the company’s opposition to the so-called “Don’t Say Like Me” bill.
The House approved the bill by a vote of 70 to 38, a day after the measure passed through the state Senate. Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to sign the law. The bill would replace the 40-square-mile area controlled by Disney, called the Reddy Creek Improvement District, effective June 1, 2023.
DeSantis has targeted Disney’s “special franchises”, since the company announced its opposition to the Parental Rights in Education Act last month. The bill prohibits discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in classrooms from kindergarten through third grade, and requires that all discussions in subsequent grades be “age appropriate.” Parents are also given the power to sue school districts for alleged violations.
Disney came out against the law only after an uprising from its employees, who criticized the company for remaining silent in the face of an anti-LGBT agenda. DeSantis responded that the state would not be governed by Disney’s “awake” agenda and that Disney had exercised undue influence on the legislature for decades.
The legislature created the Reddy Creek District in 1967, giving Disney nearly complete control over zoning, public services, and amenities at Walt Disney World Resort and the other three Orlando theme parks. The bill was introduced just two days ago, as part of a special congressional redistricting session, and passed without any analysis of the financial implications.
Orange and Osceola counties are likely to take charge of public services in the area. The government will also have to take on the region’s debt, which currently stands at around $1 billion. This step may face legal challenges.
The legislature also passed a bill to remove a special Disney cut from the state’s social media “censorship” law. The law aims to regulate social media platforms, but is on hold until a federal lawsuit is filed. Before it was approved last year, lawmakers created an exemption for any company that owns a theme park in the state, in a move to protect Disney+. The bill passed Thursday repeals that exemption.
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