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First Amendment Challenge: DeSantis Issues More Threats Against Disney

April 7, 2023

By Gary Symons

TLL Editor in Chief

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is again targeting Disney over the company’s opposition to the so-called Don’t Say Gay law.

The news outlet Politico reported Friday that DeSantis and his administration issued a series of threats against the Walt Disney Company. In particular, the Governor is enraged that Disney neatly sidestepped his earlier attempt to take over the land on which DisneyWorld operates.

According to Politico, DeSantis said on Thursday that a number of actions are pending in his ongoing attempts to punish Disney for opposing the state’s Parental Rights in Education Law, dubbed the Don’t Say Gay law.

The new measures may include imposing new and higher taxes on Disney’s hotels and imposing new tolls on roads leading to the resort.

In addition, the Governor and his administration say they are looking at additional measures to extend their control over the lands on which DisneyWorld operates. As reported by TLL, DeSantis originally hit out at Disney by taking over the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which controls the land on which DisneyWorld operates. However, the previous board for the District passes a motion prior to their dissolution that greatly limited the power of the Improvement District.

See the Background to Disney’s Legal Moves at the Link Below

Mickey Mouse Shows His Fangs as Disney Gets Tough With Opponents

The move reportedly infuriated and embarrassed DeSantis, and the board of political allies he appointed to run the District. The state is now planning to challenge the agreement between the previous board and Disney, saying the company may be violating Florida’s growth laws.

“They are not superior to the people of Florida,” DeSantis said during an evening appearance at Hillsdale College, the conservative liberal arts college in Michigan. “So come hell or high water we’re going to make sure that policy of Florida carries the day. And so they can keep trying to do things. But ultimately we’re going to win on every single issue involving Disney I can tell you that.”

DeSantis also charged in a Republican breakfast meeting that Disney “tried to pull a fast one on the way out the door,” adding, “That story’s not over yet. Buckle up. There’s more coming down the pike.”

One of the things coming down the pike may be a move by Florida and the newly appointed board of the Reedy Creek Improvement District to develop lands adjacent to DisneyWorld. That was among the concerns held by the company and the former District board. The agreement they signed prior to being dissolved specifically prevents the Improvement District from constructing buildings or signage without Disney’s permission, and that any such signage must be compatible with DisneyWorld’s messaging and branding.

Legal experts in the US have raised concerns that the actions of the Florida government have violated Disney’s rights to freedom of speech under the First Amendment, which was intended to prevent governments from retaliating against citizens or companies that say things the government doesn’t like.

For a full examination of the issue, you can read TLL’s special report on the First Amendment issues in the Disney vs. DeSantis battle at the link below.

Peppa Pig Theme Park To Open at LEGOLAND Florida

Filed Under: Licensing Law, U.S., Open Content, Editorial, Top Story, TLL, Region, North America, Recent Headlines, Archive, News & Trends, Experiential Licensing, Articles, Featured, Entertainment Tagged With: Reedy Creek Improvement District, First Amendment Disney, Don't Say Gay law, Disney World, Disney vs. DeSantis, Don't Say Gay Disney

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