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Credit: Inside the MagicIn spite of a unanimous vote from the Florida legislature, Republicans successfully blocked a bill that would have given control of the Reedy Creek Improvement District back to Disney. Here’s how they did it.
Related: DeSantis Refused Meeting With Disney Before Filing Lawsuit
The feud between the Walt Disney Company and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been long and harrowing. It all began when Disney made a statement against DeSantis’ controversial Florida Rights in Education Act, more colloquially known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
This angered the Republican Governor, prompting him to revoke Disney’s special district: the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Now known as the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD), a team of DeSantis appointees took over, applying numerous sanctions and restrictions against Walt Disney World Resort.
There have since been numerous retaliations from both sides, with the most significant being Disney suing Ron DeSantis for punishing the multimedia corporation for exercising its free speech. DeSantis has responded by trying to get the case thrown out but has not been successful.
The Disney Vs. DeSantis feud has become the defining characteristic of Governor Ron DeSantis’ political career, with figures from both sides of the aisle condemning his presidential campaign. On top of this, Reedy Creek locals have spoken out numerous times against the new board, and employees have been leaving in droves. Noticing this, one Florida representative has decided Orange County has had enough.
Senator Linda Stewart Wants To Give Reedy Creek Back To Disney
Related: Disney No Longer Holding Back in Fight Against Desantis Board, Former Board Leader Court Ordered
On November 28, Florida State Senator Linda Stewart of Orlando revealed that she was preparing a bill that would terminate the CFTOD, bringing back the Reedy Creek Improvement District and the Walt Disney Company’s control of said district.
“We need to dissolve what is creating this havoc, and put it back the way it was,” said Stewart. “In my research, we’ve got over eleven instances… and it just continues to grow. Every week, they do something that is too impactful for people to accept.”
"We need to dissolve what is creating this havoc" | State Senator Linda Stewart speaking today after filing bill to terminate the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and bring back the Reedy Creek Improvement District. @news6wkmg https://t.co/2UeuUpps2Z pic.twitter.com/oIAJJ6l1ox
— Landon McReynolds (@LandonProducer) November 29, 2023
Related: DeSantis Board Tries To Rewrite History, Claims Disney District Never Existed
“There’s nothing I can do but what I’m doing right now,” Stewart continued. “And whether anything comes of it, we’ll see in the future. But you can’t stand up and just complain all the time and not do anything. I’m at least trying to do something that would bring sense back to our community.”
On November 29, the bill was presented to the Orange County Legislation Delegation to be presented to the Florida State Senate. Despite a unanimous vote approving this, it looks like the bill will never make its way to the top.
Republicans Block the Bill From Moving Forward
Before the vote began to move the bill forward, the three Republican senators present at the Orange County Legislation Delegation staged a walkout during the proceeding, leaving only seven of the fourteen total representatives left to vote for the bill. Since this only represents half of the committee, the vote was determined invalid and needed to be redone.
“It’s disrespectful to the staff who spent hours preparing for this meeting and to the more than 100 members of the public who signed up to speak,” said Delegation Chair Anna Eskamani. “I can only assume this was less about delegation rules and more about Republican lawmakers not wanting to take a vote on restoring Reedy Creek.”
Related: Disney Admits Heavy Financial Losses Due to ‘Woke’ Content, DeSantis Lawsuit
While the three senators later said this was due to them being upset that the Delegation requires leadership to have at least 50% of their district in Orange County, Eskamani stated she believes this is just a “convenient way” for the Republicans not to pick sides between Disney and DeSantis. Even though they are Republicans sided with the Governor, Disney has donated thousands of dollars to their campaigns in the past.
“They haven’t discouraged me or derailed me yet,” said Stewart. “They can’t stop me.” And they shouldn’t. Senator Stewart was right to point out that she isn’t just complaining, she is actually doing something. If she continues to side with the public, those actions should work in her favor.
Do you think Disney should regain control of Reedy Creek? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!