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Credit: Inside The MagicRepublican Governor Ron DeSantis and his policies have invited numerous lawsuits from around his state. This has led people around the nation to take moral sides: pro-Disney vs. anti-Disney, pro-government vs. pro-business, “woke” vs. anti-woke, and many more. But many of these online debaters don’t realize how much money this is costing the people of Florida.
The Disney-DeSantis feud is well-documented, particularly by this site. To recap, Governor Ron DeSantis pushed a bill through the Florida legislature, colloquially referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill. When the Walt Disney Company spoke out against it, DeSantis retaliated by removing Walt Disney World Resort’s autonomy in the formerly-named Reedy Creek Improvement District.
What followed was multiple legal maneuverings, some involving the Royal Family, leading to Disney suing the Florida Governor for violating their first amendment rights. This feud has become so entrenched in DeSantis’ identity that it is now a central point in his presidential campaign, despite multiple members of the Republican Party speaking out against it.
However, Disney isn’t the only company suing DeSantis. Many different individuals, groups, and businesses are pressing charges against the Governor for violating their rights. And while people may take different sides depending on their personal views, one thing cannot be denied: all of these lawsuits cost Florida Taxpayers a lot of money.
Floridians Foot the Bill for DeSantis Feuds
Related: Monumental Lawsuit Between Disney and DeSantis Set – Official Deadlines Approaching
Ron DeSantis has been waging his crusades against “woke” culture ever since he was elected Florida Governor in 2019. This means that he has been facing multiple lawsuits from all sides. And with lawsuits come legal fees. According to Insider, the Disney lawsuit costs around $1300 per hour. Meanwhile, the Orlando Sentinel reports that another firm has been hired to handle additional suits at $725 per hour.
In a report from the Miami Herald, this all adds up to a whopping total of $16.7 million. To quote Nova Southeastern University law professor Bob Jarvis, “DeSantis has been God’s gift to lawyers.”
However, this money isn’t coming from DeSantis. Instead, these fees are being paid for by taxpayers. Add on the $1 billion construction contract that Disney pulled out of, and DeSantis may have cost the state of Florida more money than any Governor before him.
Related: Florida Bill Seeks to Have DeSantis Remain Governor if Elected as U.S. President
Florida’s Democratic House leader Fentrice Driskell pointed out that an additional $16 million was set aside solely for any litigation that may come at the Governor. In contrast, only $2 million was allotted for the Medicaid iBudget Florida waiver meant to help disabled Floridians access beneficial services, which has 22,000 people on the waitlist.
“If we added the $16m that was added for these culture wars, my goodness, that’s $18m. Presumably, we could help get nine times more people off of the waitlist,” said Driskell.
It has become clear that DeSantis’ culture wars are not for the benefit of local Floridians. Instead, they are meant to increase his public profile and make him seem like a tough guy. But the cost of these battles isn’t being covered by DeSantis. It’s coming out of the pockets of everyday Floridians.
Where would you rather see your taxpayer money going? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!