The Florida House of Representatives just passed a bill that would dissolve Disney’s special treatment ruling in the state.
Yesterday, the bill passed the Florida Senate and has now passed in the Florida House as shown in a tweet from reporter Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) below:
The Florida House of Representatives on Thursday gave final passage to a bill that could dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District at Walt Disney World.
The Florida House of Representatives on Thursday gave final passage to a bill that could dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District at Walt Disney World.
pic.twitter.com/8NNXyxrIN8— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) April 21, 2022
This comes after weeks of drama surrounding the Walt Disney World Resort and the state of Florida after the company’s divisive stance on the state’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
The decision also eliminates two Black districts and tilts the balance of the delegation more Republican. Both measures were pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, which one Democrat called a “hijack” of the Legislature’s duties.
This firm stance against the new bill caused friction between the company and the state of Florida, with Gov. Ron DeSantis continuing to escalate the battle with incendiary words and potential actions. As of yesterday, Gov. DeSantis heightened the stakes, publicly announcing he was considering terminating the special treatment Disney has been receiving due to the state’s Reedy Creek Improvement act.
The Reedy Creek Improvement Act essentially allows Walt Disney World to reside in Florida unregulated, acting as its own “government” in a way. The act involved creating a special taxing district that acts with the same authority as a county government. The legislation made the claim that landowners within the Reedy Creek Improvement District, primarily Walt Disney World, could be allowed to be solely responsible for paying the cost of providing typical municipal services like power, water, roads, fire protection etc. Local taxpayers, meaning residents of Orange and Osceola County, would not have to pay for building or maintaining those services.
What this means for The Walt Disney World Resort in Florida is unknown at this time but it is important to note that it is believed that members of the special district will have a vote on the final decision.
How do you feel about this decision?
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