Disney World does not plan to fight changes to Reedy Creek, president says

[Kid Berwyn]

48. Where? When you wrote something?

Who knows what the impact will be and on whom? Here’s what it looks like now:

Disney to Keep Perks Under Florida Bill Allowing Gov. Ron DeSantis to Assume Control of Special Tax District

The legislation gives DeSantis the power to appoint members to the district's governing body.

BY WINSTON CHO
Hollywood Reporter, Feb. 7, 2023

Despite a Florida bill empowering Gov. Ron DeSantis to take control of its special tax district, Disney will get to keep most of the perks that’s allowed the company to self-govern the land on its theme park resort for over 50 years.

Legislation introduced on Monday by Republicans in Florida’s Legislature would reshape the leadership structure and change the name of Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District. But under the bill, Disney would retain almost all of its exemptions from a host of regulations, taxes and fees in addition to powers allowing it to act much like its own government, including the issuance of bonds. The proposal advances DeSantis’ crusade seeking to overhaul the education establishment as he positions himself for a presidential run next year by cornering Disney into keeping quiet on cultural issues, like gender identity and sexual orientation, or risk having him disrupt company operations.

Last year, Florida lawmakers passed a bill dissolving independent special districts that were created prior to 1968. While the state has hundreds of special districts, most were set up after that date. Without legislation re-establishing Disney’s special tax status, the counties that would take up oversight of Reedy Creek would inherit an estimated billion-plus in bond debt.

The feud between Florida lawmakers and Disney started when the company pushed back on the Parental Rights in Education Law, which prohibits instruction on gender sexuality through the third grade. Disney initially stayed silent on the legislation, but later opposed it under pressure from employees.

After the company suspended political donations in the state and vowed to push for the law’s repeal, DeSantis shot back by calling the company a “woke corporation” trying to influence state affairs. “If we want to keep the Democrat machine and their corporate lapdogs accountable, we have to stand together now,” DeSantis wrote in a fundraising pitch sent in April. His retaliation culminated with the passage of a bill stripping Disney of its special tax status after he asked lawmakers to consider the “termination” of its self-governing privileges.

Continues…

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/disney-to-keep-special-perks-under-florida-bill-allowing-gov-ron-desantis-to-assume-control-of-special-tax-district-1235320186/

Gee. There’s more to the story than anything in your replies above.

So? What do you know?