DeSantis vs. Disney Q&A

In late April, during a special legislative session, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hastily signed a bill abolishing several decades-old independent districts in the state, including the Reedy Creek Investment District, which is the self-governing home to the Walt Disney World Resort.

To some observers, the new law was a blatant act of retaliation by Republican lawmakers against the Walt Disney Co. Under pressure from its employees, the company had announced that it opposed, and would support efforts to repeal, Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education” law, which DeSantis signed in March and some critics have said is anti-LGBTQ.

But the law seeking to eliminate some of the state’s special districts — which does not include specifics about the implementation — has caused confusion and raised questions about whether the special districts can legally be dissolved by next year and, if so, what financial impact it would have on taxpayers in affected counties.

Here we review what we know about the ongoing conflict between the entertainment company and the Republican governor, who is up for reelection and considered in 2024.