United States – Almost a year since state lawmakers passed a law that gave the governor of Florida control over Walt Disney World’s government district, Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday claimed the takeover to be a success, even though several workers left, the litigation is ongoing, and one of his appointees is involved in a scandal.
DeSantis doubled down on the results of the first day of courtroom battles with Disney last week at Disney World, where he claimed a victory over the company, whose district had been in control of Disney supporters over the previous 50 years until the takeover last year, as reported by The Associated Press.
Transparency and Reduced Tax Burden
The governor also added that the selection of the vendor approved by the district board with his appointees had created a more transparent and accountable district and reduced the tax burden on Disney and outside shops and restaurants at the theme park resort, and the competition for the award of contracts was also very stiff. The district provides civic services like firefighting, planning, and generation of mosquito control bites, among other things.
“That is a win, not just for people in this region, but the state of Florida,” DeSantis said.
The governor’s three-week trip to Disney World was three weeks after a federal judge in Tallahassee refused to hear a free speech lawsuit brought against him and his appointees to the board of the governing district. Disney is bringing up the ruling.
Legal Battles and Ongoing Litigation
Disney had claimed that the amendment, which tipped the balance in favor of appointees of DeSantis in place of Disney supporters and consequent opposition, resulted from the company taking a public stand against the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. The 2022 law barred teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades and found a champion in Gov. DeSantis, who had used Disney as a punching bag in his campaign trail speeches. This year, he didn’t bid for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
A lawsuit apart that is still pending in state court in Orlando about who has the authority continues. Before the ownership of the district was transferred to the former officials last year, the Disney supporters on its board made binding agreements with Disney, giving the latter a complete say in the designs and projects of Disney World. Brandishing the new DeSantis appointments, those appointees complained that the “eleventh-hour deals” disabled their powers, and the district appealed to the state court to have those contracts voided.
Employee Exodus and District Vacancies
After the takeover, about 50 employees among the district’s 370 have left, so the question arises of how the district can run with so many vacancies. Many of the departing workers have cited that the district was becoming politicized with the hired or contributed associates, that they were distracted by the backgrounds of the five DeSantis appointees and other reasons, as reported by The Associated Press.
Out of all the appointees, Bridget Ziegler, who established Moms for Liberty with her husband, has been criticized for hypocrisy after she herself admitted to beginning a sexual relationship with her husband and another woman, this despite their persistent fight against LGBTQ+ rights. Earlier this year, her husband, Christian Ziegler, was dismissed as the governor of the Republican Party of Florida, and the Sarasota Police Department has asked the attorneys to bring charges against him for unauthorized video recording of the sexual encounter he had with the woman.