Why Florida wants to take away Disney’s self-governing statute at its Orlando parks

Why Florida wants to take away Disney’s self-governing statute at its Orlando parks

The Republican governor called on the state Congress to address the elimination of the special statute during a parliamentary session convened to redefine the electoral map.

“Yes, they’re going to address the congressional map, but they’re also going to address the elimination of all special districts that were enacted in Florida before 1968, and that includes the Reedy Creek Improvement District,” DeSantis said. during a press conference.

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What is Reedy Creek Improvement District

The Reedy Creek Improvement District was an area created in 1967 by the Florida Congress to facilitate the construction of the Walt Disney World park in the Orlando area.

It measures about 100 km2 and includes two cities and land in Orange and Osceola counties in central Florida.

Under that agreement, Disney runs that district as if it were a local government, collecting taxes and guaranteeing essential public services such as garbage collection, water treatment, etc.

The origin of the dispute

The dispute between DeSantis and the company began after the signing of the controversial educational law, which its detractors nicknamed “Don’t say gay”.

The CEO of Disney, Bob Chapek, strongly criticized this law and announced a suspension of donations to politicians in Florida, a decision made as a result of the strong criticism that the company received for not publicly positioning itself against the legislative text.

“Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law, should never have passed,” Chapek said after DeSantis signed the bill.

Those statements irritated the governor, who called Disney’s attitude “dishonest” and announced in late March that his administration could withdraw the company’s special privileges.

Source: Ambito

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