Florida Lawmakers Push Back Against ‘Woke Disney,’ Move to Strip Theme Park’s Special Benefits

Are you able to rumble? The Florida authorities has challenged company heavyweight Disney. The state is trying to strip away the corporate’s self-governing standing, which was applied in 1967, and permits Disney to function Walt Disney World inside the Reedy Creek Improvement District. The District principally behaves as its personal county, with its personal fireplace division, waste administration, regulation enforcement, and debt, which can develop into Florida’s drawback.

On Wednesday, the Florida Senate handed a invoice focusing on the dissolution of the Reedy Creek Improvement District as soon as June 1, 2023. NBC News reported that the Florida Senate handed the invoice with a 23 to 16 vote majority on April 20. It has now moved to the Florida House, the place it should additionally collect a majority vote earlier than it will probably land on the desk of Governor Ron DeSantis to be signed into regulation. DeSantis, btw, has been very crucial of Disney in current months for what he’s known as its “woke” insurance policies, which embody issues like face mask requirements for workers in the course of the pandemic.

It’s additionally laborious to see this transfer by Florida lawmakers as something however a petty response to Disney’s open stance towards the current ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill, which was signed into regulation by DeSantis in March. The law “prohibits classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels or in a specified manner.”

The firm finally brazenly eviscerated the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill in a statement on Twitter, stating that it “should never have passed.” But many Disney workers weren’t happy with how lengthy it took the corporate to push again agains the laws. Disney, nevertheless, has not but commented on this seemingly pointed try and retaliate towards the corporate, and didn’t instantly return Gizmodo’s request for remark.

The new regulation might have penalties that reach previous the Reedy Creek Improvement. It might also have an effect on native taxpayers, as native Florida information outlet Click Orlando states–property taxes may see a hike of 15% to twenty% within the areas surrounding Reedy Creek, citing Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph.

Gizmodo will proceed to replace this story as this information continues to interrupt.