47A bizarre, alleged “joke” that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made about building a prison near Walt Disney World has ended up being part of Disney’s federal lawsuit against him.
Governor DeSantis and the Walt Disney Company have been locked in multiple legal battles, all of which stemmed from former CEO Bob Chapek bowing to activist pressure and taking a public stance against the controversial Parental Rights in Education Act, also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” law.
This kicked off a feud between the polarizing far-right presidential candidate and the iconic media company, which eventually led to DeSantis getting rid of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the special tax district around Walt Disney World.
Related: Disney No Longer Holding Back in Fight Against Desantis Board, Former Board Leader Court Ordered
For decades the Reedy Creek Improvement District had basically allowed Disney to act as the de facto local government in Central Florida (in exchange for things like footing massive tax bills). The governor replaced it with the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and stocked the new board of directors with a group of allies, many of whom have proved themselves controversial in their own right.
DeSantis is well-known for taking potshots at his political enemies in the press, but now it seems some “jokes” he made about using the land around Disney World have turned into legal fodder for the House of Mouse.
“Maybe You Need Another State Prison. Who Knows?”
In a press conference in April, Governor DeSantis made several allegedly joking remarks about the use of new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, claiming that it could be used for a new state prison or even a rival theme park to Disney (per Newsweek).
Among other things, DeSantis said, “Come to think of it, now people are like, what should we do with this land? People have said maybe create a state park. Maybe try to do more amusement parks. Someone even said maybe you need another state prison. Who knows? I just think that the possibilities are endless, and so that is now going to be analyzed to see what is going to make the most sense.”
While those might have just been off-the-cuff comments from DeSantis, Disney is not treating them as such. Instead, the company is using it as new evidence in a federal court filing to claim that the governor was using his political power to undermine their interests at Walt Disney World.
DeSantis, Disney, and the First Amendment
Disney’s federal lawsuit against the Florida governor hinges on the First Amendment’s protection of speech against government reprisal.
The company claims that dissolving the Reedy Creek Improvement District was a deliberate attack by DeSantis because of Disney’s pro-LGBTQIA+ stance and that the governor’s statements only affirm that he believes the land can be used to hinder their business further.
A new federal filing in Tallahassee states, “[T]he Governor declared that his Board could approve the use of property adjacent to Disney’s to construct a state prison or develop a rival theme park.” In other words, the claim is that DeSantis’ handpicked board could legally use the land around Walt Disney World to make the theme park either undesirable for families or threatened by competition.
Related: Dozens of Employees Quit over DeSantis’ “Incompetent” Disney Takeover
The filing continues, “The injuries caused by exercising unlawful appointment power plainly would be redressed by a court order invalidating the reorganization laws and directing the Governor to rescind his legally impermissible appointments.”
Currently, Disney is asking the federal court to find the dissolution of the Reedy Creek Improvement District unconstitutional. It will remain to be seen what the court decides, but DeSantis spouting off to the media certainly isn’t helping his case.
Do you think Governor DeSantis exceeded his power in the Disney World conflict? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!