Florida’s state Senate is taking a step that would strip the Walt Disney Co. of a special tax district which has reportedly saved the company tens of millions of dollars per year.
On Wednesday, the Senate voted 23-16 to pass a measure that would end the special district that Disney’s theme part occupies.
As The Wall Street Journal notes, the district was established in 1967 and has been called the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
#BREAKING The Florida Senate passed the bill that would dismantle the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which gives Disney self-governing powers. It passed 23-16 and now moves to the Florida House.
— Lydia Nusbaum (@LydiaNusbaum) April 20, 2022
Per the paper, the district “exempts Disney from a host of regulations and certain taxes and fees related to emergency services and road maintenance.”
The bill would dissolve any special districts that were created before 1968 that have not been renewed on June 1, 2023. It would affect about half a dozen districts.
State Rep. Randy Fine, who sponsored the bill, noted that Disney is the only high-profile company that has a special district. However, the company could try to reestablish a special district after its current one is dissolved.
The Florida House is expected to pass the measure, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is expected to sign it.
DeSantis suggested Florida might take such action after Disney spoke out against the state’s “Parental Rights in Education” law.
As NBC News explains, “The measure bans ‘classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity’ in kindergarten through third grade.”
“It also prohibits such teaching ‘in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students,’ which critics say could be interpreted to extend to all grade levels. Parents can sue school districts for alleged violations,” it added.
A Disney spokesperson said in a statement, “Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law.”
“Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that,” the statement continued.
It added, “We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country.”
During a press conference after the statement, DeSantis said, “What I would say as a matter of first principle is I don’t support special privileges in law just because a company is powerful and they’ve been able to wield a lot of power.”
“I think what has happened is there’s a lot of these special privileges that are not justifiable, but because Disney had held so much sway, they were able to sustain a lot of special treatment over the years,” he continued. “I would say any special privileges that are in law I would like to get rid of generally.”
