According to a report from the Orlando Sentinel, the Florida Legislature will hold a special session on Monday, February 6th to present a bill that will reportedly seek state control of the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has previously expressed an interest in making The Walt Disney Company pay for a nearly $1 billion debt carried by RCID, despite no law requiring Disney to do so. The bill set to be presented should “protect local taxpayers from the District’s debts”. It remains to be seen how DeSantis and lawmakers will accomplish that. Disney is said to be working with DeSantis in private to come up with a solution that will have little impact on Walt Disney World while helping the governor save face in a battle with “woke culture”.
The road to dismantling the Reedy Creek Improvement District is a winding one, but one that started essentially out of retaliation by DeSantis after he and Disney butted heads over the “Don’t Say Gay” law earlier this year. Here’s a timeline of the fallout:
March 2022
- March 7th – Disney CEO Bob Chapek sends out a company-wide email that says that Disney will not denounce the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and that the company will essentially try to stay out of politics.
- March 9th – Disney CEO Bob Chapek attempts to walk back his email, saying that the company has been “opposed to the bill from the outset”.
- March 10th – The Human Rights Organization rejects Disney’s donation
- March 11th – Disney CEO Bob Chapek sends a company-wide email apologizing for lack of action and advocacy on “Don’t Say Gay” bill
- March 22nd – Hundreds of Disney employees participate in a walkout at Disney Headquarters over the company’s initial apathy over “Don’t Say Gay” bill
- March 28th – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signs “Don’t Say Gay” into law, Disney responds
- March 30th – Florida lawmakers begin floating the idea of dismantling the Reedy Creek Improvement District in retaliation for Disney’s support of LGBTQIA+ communities
April
- April 20th – Florida Senate passes bill to dismantle the Reedy Creek Improvement District
- April 22nd – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signs bill to dismantle Reedy Creek Improvement District
May
- May 2nd – DeSantis is said to want to create his own “Lake Buena Vista District” in place of the Reedy Creek Improvement District
- May 16th – DeSantis says that he’ll make Disney pay an outstanding RCID debt of $1 billion despite no laws requiring Disney to do so
August
- August 23rd – In a motion to dismiss a lawsuit against the state, DeSantis’ lawyers argue the RCID dissolution might not happen
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