Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has reignited his fight with one of his state's largest employers: Disney.
DeSantis, who had his 2009 wedding at Disney World, has been fighting with the company over the friendly peace-loving world they've created in the swamps near Orlando, the Miami Herald reported Thursday.
The many parks collected over the 39-square mile area were given a special taxing district in 1967 when it was located there. DeSantis claims that it gave Disney the ability to have its own local government, which he labeled "undemocratic." The reality is that it gave Disney the ability to have its own police, fire and EMSA service, so that when there are fire or medical emergencies on any of the parks, the first responders can reach people quicker and easier.
Called the Reedy Creek Improvement District, DeSantis has decided to unilaterally kill that law and is demanding legislators make a move in the 2023 session.
IN OTHER NEWS: Judge scolds Trump attorneys for tedious defense filings: 'Countless pages were wasted'
Given Disney is LGBTQ friendly, DeSantis has started a war against the company for being "woke."
The problem that it makes for Florida residents, however, is that instead of Disney handling its own services, the burden will now fall to Orange County.
The Orange County Tax Collector explained last year on Twitter that they would be on the hook for "all debt and obligations with no extra funds," meaning "Orange County would take on $163 million [in debt obligations] per year."
“I think they’re going to do a special session in a week or two, I think maybe next week, about a whole bunch of different things that need to be taken care of,” DeSantis said Thursday. “Including making sure that Disney doesn’t have self-governing status anymore.”
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) threw DeSantis under the bus last year over the issue, saying that his experience with Disney has been a "positive one."
Moving the massive park would be a costly endeavor for the company and it's unclear whether another state would be willing to make it worth its while if they were willing to move.
The land on which the park sits was considered uninhabitable, the Los Angeles Times said.
