Who won the battle between DeSantis and Disney?

First modification: 03/04/2023 – 15:59

Governor Ron DeSantis began the process to seize control of the Walt Disney World Autonomous District in Orlando, punishing the entertainment company for opposing the “Don’t Say Gay” law, a provision that prohibits teachers from addressing topics. sexual orientation in elementary schools.

“The corporate kingdom is finally coming to an end,” DeSantis said, punning Disney at the signing of the bill at the Lake Buena Vista Fire Center in the middle of the special district.

The Florida Congress, whose two chambers are dominated by Republicans, approved the law promoted by DeSantis on February 10 for the state to take over the so-called Reedy Creek Improvement District, which has operated autonomously for more than half a century. .

“This legislation ends Disney’s self-government status, makes Disney live under the same laws as everyone else, and ensures that Disney pays its debts and a fair share of taxes,” the Florida Governor explained.

The main changes

Starting in July, when the rule goes into effect, the Disney-controlled district will pass into the hands of a board of five supervisors chosen by DeSantis himself, which took on the entertainment giant over the state’s controversial school gender and identity law colloquially known as “Don’t Say Gay.”

The law prohibits teachers from talking to younger students about sexual orientation and gender identity and sets fines for schools that break.

Now the district, for the first time, will have to report its budget and finances to Florida and will face restrictions on building airports, stadiums and civic centers.

In addition to the fact that it will not be able to expand without the approval of the state and no public money will be allocated to advertising attractions.

The district will retain power over planning, zoning, building, and safety codes, and current tax-exempt status for property and bonds.

“The Happiest Place on Earth”

The so-called by its founder Walt Disney as the “happiest place on Earth” had had the category of special district since 1967, a self-government that allowed it to have a dozen theme parks, a sports center, a shopping center, 25 hotels, its own police and fire department, as well as create nearly 80,000 jobs.

The more than 100 square km area is located in Osceola and Orange counties, in the center of the state, but has been at the center of a political dispute with Governor DeSantis, a possible candidate for the United States Presidency in 2024.

“We had a bit of a fight last year over school legislation,” DeSantis said, referring to Disney as “a Californian company” that enjoyed “privileges” that no one else in Florida had.

DeSantis stressed that there will be no additional tax burden for taxpayers as a result of this change, although many homeowners fear facing increased tax payments after the decision.

Who won or lost?

“Nothing is going to change. The disaster that was going to hit the county and the taxpayers around here, aside from Disney, is not going to hit them,” Jacob Schumer, a Florida local government attorney, told Yahoo News. and tax laws.

The truth is that Disney will accept the law and stop managing basic services such as water, electricity or firefighters. That burden will shift to the counties as Disney loses some tax breaks.

But what worries analysts most is that the law does change who controls the government that oversees the Disney kingdom in the state, which could lead to future battles as tensions escalate between the company, entrenched in progressive social issues. , and the conservative state waging a crusade against what it describes as “woke ideology.”

with EFE