- Ron DeSantis' hand-picked board is trying to claw back power over Disney World.
- A previous Disney-backed board had stripped DeSantis' appointees of power.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' hand-picked board overseeing Walt Disney World is trying to claw back "superior authority" after the previous board hamstrung its power, according to a new proposal.
The action from the board is the latest move in the closely watched power struggle over who controls Disney's land.
The DeSantis-Disney feud began last year, after Disney executives publicly opposed the Parental Rights in Education Act, the legislation LGBTQ rights groups and Democrats have derided as "Don't Say Gay," because it limits classroom instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation.
DeSantis responded by signing a new law that allowed him to appoint board members to oversee Disney's land.
But days before that happened, Disney invoked an obscure property law under the former board that essentially rendered the DeSantis-appointed board toothless.
DeSantis pledged during a stop in Michigan last week that he would void Disney's actions to maintain its power, and that he would also consider taxes on hotels, new tolls, and developing properties.
And now, in his latest move, DeSantis' board has proposed naming itself the "superior authority" over the entire Disney World district, according to a resolution.
If enacted, the resolution would give DeSantis' board complete control "over comprehensive planning, zoning, land development regulations, environmental protection regulations, and platting and subdivision regulations," the resolution states.
"It may have been the case that Disney ran the state of Florida in the 60 years prior to me being governor," DeSantis said in Michigan last week, "but they do not run it as long as this sheriff is in town."
The proposal will be reviewed at the next board meeting on April 19.
This isn't DeSantis' first attempt to retaliate against Disney, though the various moves have targeted a provision long on the books that gives the resort and theme park special self-governing privileges in Florida — privileges that many other businesses, including rival theme parks such as Sea World and Universal Studios, don't have.
DeSantis first signed a bill into law in April 2022 to dissolve the Reedy Creek district that oversees Disney. But when it was revealed the measure could have resulted in residents taking on a sizeable amount of debt through higher taxes, the legislature sent DeSantis a new bill in February 2023, during a special session, creating the governor-appointed board.
Disney, however, had written the loophole to keep majority of its power, virtually in perpetuity.
The board's latest attempt to wrestle back power isn't the only move from the DeSantis administration targeting Disney. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody requested texts, emails, and other public records from the former board members of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. DeSantis also asked the state inspector general to look into Disney's power play, including probing if the mega-corporation's executives, staff, or agents were involved.
The governor's appointees to the board are consulting with four different law firms over the matter, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Disney has said its move was "discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums."