Governor Ron DeSantis took the decision amid tension with Disney regarding LGBTQ issues at schools
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed Friday’s bill into law that takes Walt Disney World out of special tax status. Also, it removes the state from any self-government. This was done amid controversy surrounding a separate Florida law banning certain conversations about gender and sexual orientation at schools.
New law eliminates “independent special districts”It was created prior to 1968 and includes the Reedy Creek Improvement District. The Reedy Creek Improvement District is a property of 25,000 acres in central Florida that houses the Disney theme park.
According to a 1967 arrangement Disney could operate on its property as a local government. It would build and maintain municipal services, such as roads and electricity.
DeSantis wrote the law to eliminate “special interest carveouts,” and has argued that Florida’s state constitution, revised in 1968, bans “special laws granting privileges to private corporations.”
Meanwhile, DeSantis and Disney have been trading jabs over Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act, which was signed into law this month. The legislation, dubbed the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill by opponents, bans classroom discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity for students in kindergarten through third grade.
Disney, famous for its proLGBTQ stances, has pledged to defend the law in court. DeSantis said that Florida law is “not based on the demands of California corporate executives.”Burbank is the home of Disney’s Corporate Headquarters.
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