In the new bill to create a government-controlled version of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, one proposal aims to create a board of supervisors to govern the district.
Right now, The Walt Disney Company governs the district. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has stated his intent to remove this power and place it in the hands of the state.
Notably, the proposal notes that individuals who have worked for a theme park or entertainment complex in the last three years are not eligible for the board. This means Disney would not be permitted to have an active role.
The governor would also be responsible for appointing all five board members, with confirmation from the senate.
 The proposal states that the board “shall have controlling authority over the district, and shall exercise the powers granted to the district under this act and under chapters 189 and 298, Florida Statutes. The board of supervisors shall consist of five members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, with one member designated as chair of the board of supervisors and one member designated as vice chair. Each member shall hold office for a term of 4 years and until a successor is chosen and qualified, except that for the initial appointments made after the effective date of this act, two members shall be appointed to serve a term of 2 years. Furthermore, each member initially appointed to the board of supervisors must replace the board member who has been serving on the board for the greatest amount of time to date.”
The verbiage detailing the ban on theme park employees (and their relatives) can be found below.
“The following persons are ineligible to serve on the board:
1. Any person who, within the past 3 years, has been an officer, owner, director, employee, agent, contractor, or
subcontractor of, or has had a contractual relationship with a business entity that owns or operates a theme park or
entertainment complex as defined in s. 509.013(9), Florida Statutes, or a parent company, subsidiary, or sibling
organization under common ownership or control with a business entity that owns or operates a theme park or entertainment
complex.
2. Any relative as defined in s. 112.3143, Florida Statutes, of a person ineligible under subparagraph 1.”
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This man is evil and a complete tool. At what point does Disney hit back with their own lawsuit? Targeting companies for voicing a different belief is illegal.
Welcome to DeSantis’s America, where authoritarian government tells you what to think and what to say. Or else. How about the local residents get to elect their own leaders? You know, like they do in a democracy.
Can’t wait for Disney to just tell that freak of a Governor to take a hike and they find another state for their theme park. Take all the money and jobs it generates and put those in a state that hasn’t lost its mind.
So… half a million people who live in the area that taxes are going to go up to cover these costs can’t have input over what goes on in their back yard.
Sounds fair.
Sounds good. They are raking in the money and not paying their fair share.
Take that to court… to ban anyone from a government position is lame. Especially when republicscams have George Santos and the felons in Congress complicit in several coup attempts to overturn an American election
How can this whole thing stand up to a legal challenge? DeSantis is on record that he retaliated based on Disney & their press release. The U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled Corporate Free Speech is protected Speech about 18 years ago.
This is crazy. I know Disney had special privileges and some want those to go away. But for this power to be given to the state rather than a local elected board is crazy. Does Florida have no constitution??? This would never fly in another state where local county or township boards have such authority.