DeSantis' hand-picked Walt Disney World oversight board meets for the
first time
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[March 08, 2023]
By Dawn Chmielewski
(Reuters) - A new board controlling Walt Disney World's special taxing
district in Florida will meet for the first time on Wednesday, as
Governor Ron DeSantis' hand-picked group gets ready to end the
entertainment giant's "corporate kingdom."
What that entails is not clear. Nothing in the language of the
legislation creating the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District
gives the board of supervisors authority to direct Walt Disney Co's
content.
Nevertheless, Republican DeSantis has spoken out against the media
company's "woke agenda."
"The District board members are now in place and will be examining all
of the needed actions to get back on track," Bryan Griffin, a spokesman
for the governor, said on Tuesday.
Legislators in Florida passed a bill in February giving DeSantis
effective control over a board that oversees municipal services and
development in a special district that encompasses Walt Disney World
resort.
State Republicans last year targeted Disney after it publicly clashed
with DeSantis, who is widely considered a 2024 presidential candidate,
over a law that restricts classroom instruction of gender and sexual
orientation.
Disney’s then-chief executive officer, Bob Chapek, publicly voiced
disappointment with the measure, saying he called DeSantis to express
concern about it becoming law.
In a move political observers viewed as retaliation for Disney's
criticism of the Parental Rights in Education Act, Florida lawmakers
passed legislation that ended Disney's virtual autonomy in developing
25,000 acres in central Florida where its theme parks are located.
The bill, which DeSantis signed into law in February, authorizes the
governor to appoint five supervisors to operate the quasi-government
entity, overseeing municipal services, such as fire protection, public
utilities, waste collection and road maintenance. It also can raise
revenue to pay outstanding debt and cover the cost of services.
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Supporters of Florida's
Republican-backed "Don't Say Gay" bill that bans classroom
instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity for many young
students gather for a rally outside Walt Disney World in Orlando,
Florida, U.S. April 16, 2022. REUTERS/Octavio Jones
But DeSantis' agenda reaches beyond operational minutiae. “Leaders
must stand up and fight back when big corporations make the mistake,
as Disney did, of using their economic might to advance a political
agenda,” DeSantis wrote in a recent Wall Street Journal opinion
piece. “We are making Florida the state where woke goes to die.”
At the bill signing, DeSantis hinted at his cultural concerns,
criticizing Disney for allegedly injecting “a lot of sexuality into
the programming for young kids.” He did not offer specifics.
One Florida resident who spoke at the signing ceremony echoed that
sentiment, saying Disney had “crossed the line” when it opposed
Florida’s education law, which critics refer to as the "Don't Say
Gay" measure.
“Disney has stepped into a ring with mama bears, and that is not a
fight they will win,” said Mandy Shafer. “My hope is that Walt
Disney's vision will be restored and the woke ideologies will be
removed from Disney forever.”
One of the five supervisors appointed to the oversight board,
Bridget Ziegler, is a Sarasota School Board member and
self-described parental rights advocate, who helped pave the way for
the Parental Rights in Education Act. She also criticized Disney
last fall when it asked a local high school to cover a logo of the
school's Native American mascot to march on Main Street. The band
elected not to perform.
“Shameful to see Disney continue to use children as pawns to advance
their WOKE political agenda,” Ziegler tweeted. “Kudos to staff for
not kowtowing to their demands.”
Ziegler could not be reached for comment.
Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney parks, issued a statement on
Tuesday expressing hope that "the new board will share our
commitment to helping the local economy continue to flourish and
support the ongoing growth of the resort and Florida’s tourism
industry."
(Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Matthew
Lewis)
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