Ron DeSantis vs. Disney: Florida Governor Sends Warning Amid Opposition

Disney outplayed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in his attempt to take over the special district where Disney World is located. Now, he is escalating the feud further.

The Florida governor, who is running on a culture war platform in his bid for the Republican nomination for the presidency in 2024, went after the Walt Disney corporation for its opposition to his "Don't Say Gay" bill, as well as much of his policies that experts say limits freedom of speech in Florida.

He tried to take over the special district where Disney World is located, but that bid failed when that special district's previous board invoked a seldom-used law that granted Disney control of the area for a long time.

DeSantis has since vowed to undo this in the courts, but in the meantime, Disney still controls the Reedy Creek Improvement District due to its legal maneuvers. However, DeSantis is retaliating against Disney again.

According to CNN, DeSantis threatened to build a prison or a competing theme park near the Magic Kingdom or raise taxes on Walt Disney World. He also stated that Florida lawmakers will advance a bill that will "make sure that people understand that you don't get to put your own company over the will of the people of Florida."

During a radio program in Orlando on Monday, DeSantis called the agreement "defective" and suggested it was not properly noticed according to state law. However, Disney has argued that it followed state meeting laws as the meetings were public and were even announced in a local newspaper.

Ron DeSantis Was Caught Off Guard With Legal Maneuvers to Secure Control of Disney World

While DeSantis still has a chance to take control of the Reedy Creek area after what may take years of taxpayer-funded litigation, Disney's legal maneuvers have thwarted the Florida governor and potential presidential candidate, though this victory is possibly only temporary.

CNN pointed out that Ron DeSantis was caught off guard by the move, as his new board that took over the Reedy Creek Improvement District did not know that the previous board had given control to Disney until a few weeks after they had taken over.

However, DeSantis has remained determined to take control of Reedy Creek, and he is willing to use taxpayer money for his agenda.

"They can keep trying to do things, but, ultimately, we're gonna win on every single issue involving Disney. I can tell you that," he said in a speech in Michigan.

Disney CEO Bob Iger Hits Back at Ron DeSantis

Earlier this month, Disney held its annual shareholder meeting, and CEO Bob Iger let loose some fighting words against DeSantis, calling his ' actions "anti-business" and "anti-Florida."

"A year ago, the company took a position on pending Florida legislation, and while the company may have not handled the position that it took very well, a company has a right to freedom of speech just like individuals do," he pointed out.

According to The Tallahassee, Iger then added that DeSantis got angry with Disney's position on LGBTQ rights and has "decided to retaliate against us, including the naming of a new board to oversee the property and the business." The Disney CEO then stated that the governor now sought to "punish a company for its exercise of a constitutional right. And that just seems really wrong to me."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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