JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Florida House passed legislation Thursday that would end Disney’s special taxing district, clearing the measure for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who proposed an end to the perk after the theme park giant denounced him over a sex education bill.
The House swiftly passed the measure in a party-line vote, skipping a formal debate after Democrats refused to stop loudly protesting in the chamber over an unrelated measure to redraw the state’s congressional map.
The Senate passed the Disney measure on Tuesday in a vote that was also divided along party lines. Mr. DeSantis has not indicated when he’ll sign it.
The measure specifically targets Disney’s unique Reedy Creek Improvement District, which the state approved in 1967 at the behest of Walt Disney, who sought independence from state and local governance in order to build and expand his theme park empire in Central Florida.
The measure would not take effect until 2023 and the Legislature could vote to reconstitute the special district in the future.
The bill would end Disney’s special autonomy and authority over the 39 square miles in Orange and Osceola counties that include the Disney theme parks and resorts as well as the Downtown Disney shopping area and surrounding hotels.
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Disney would be subjected to the two counties’ planning and zoning laws, as well as building inspection.
The park would also be required to pay new fees and taxes it is exempted from paying when it expands or builds on the property thanks to its status as an improvement district.
Republicans said the measure would subject the corporate giant to the same laws, regulations and taxes as other businesses in the state.
They rejected arguments by Democrats that dismantling the special district will chase Disney out of the state, where it employs roughly 80,000 theme-park workers and contributes millions of dollars annually in tax revenue.
“I don’t mean to be flippant but I don’t think it would be really easy to put Cinderella’s castle on a truck and drive it somewhere else,” state Rep. Randy Fine, Brevard County Republican, told lawmakers.
“That being said, I don’t think this legislature would ever allow another company to independently govern itself as Disney was allowed in 1967,” he said.
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Democrats called the measure political bullying by Mr. DeSantis, who added the bill just days ago to the agenda of an emergency legislative session called to pass the congressional maps.
“I believe this is a knee-jerk reaction,” state Rep. Yvonne Hinson, Gainesville Democrat, said. “I came back here to deal with constitutional maps.”
Mr. DeSantis and Disney executives began clashing in March, when corporate officials voiced opposition to the DeSantis-backed Parental Rights in Education Act, which bans sex education in early elementary grades.
Under pressure from some Disney employees who called it an anti-gay measure, executives urged Mr. DeSantis not to sign the measure into law and when he did, they announced Disney would no longer contribute to political candidates in the state.
Mr. DeSantis accused Disney of practicing “woke” politics while ignoring the company’s own ethical problems, including business ties to the Chinese government.
At a press conference earlier this month, Mr. DeSantis began questioning the perks Disney enjoys as one of the biggest tourist attractions and employers in the state.
“Should you retaliate against them for coming out and demagoguing this bill?” Mr. DeSantis asked himself aloud at a recent press event. “I don’t believe you retaliate, But I think what I would say is, as a matter of first principle, I don’t support special privileges in law just because a company is powerful, and they’ve been able to wield a lot of power.”
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
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