REPORT: Florida To Reverse On Disney’s Special District

Orlando’s Fox affiliate reports:

A resolution to the politically charged conflict that developed this year between the state of Florida and the Walt Disney Company may reportedly be in the works.

The state’s lawmakers are working on plans to reverse a move that would strip Disney of its right to operate a private government around its theme parks, according to the Financial Times.

In April, the Florida legislature voted to dissolve Disney’s 55-year-old special tax district following a public feud between Gov. Ron DeSantis and then-chief executive Bob Chapek.

Read the full article.

The bill to dissolve the Reedy Creek District was authored by GOP state Rep. Randy Fine, who is among the most personally nasty state reps in the nation.

Per the Financial Times (paywall), Fine is crediting the reversal to Disney’s recent replacement of CEO Bob Chapek.

Another state rep quoted in the piece tellingly says, “We can’t let the governor look like he lost.” 

The dissolution of Disney’s special district was projected to laden local homeowners with up to $1 billion in bond debt.

“State lawmakers are working on a compromise that would allow Disney to keep the [Reedy Creek] arrangement largely in place with a few modifications.”

But at what cost to the state’s LGBTQ+ community? https://t.co/p2Vv2jD0Ja

— Rep. Anna V. Eskamani ? (@AnnaForFlorida) December 2, 2022

Florida may reverse decision on Disney’s Reedy Creek District: report https://t.co/ahLsj0kJbq

— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 2, 2022