TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis refuted a report Friday suggesting he will roll back legislation ending Disney’s self-governing status in Florida. 

What You Need To Know

  • Negotiations between Disney and state leaders remain ongoing.

  •  Governor's Office disputes report suggesting "U-Turn" on decision.

  • Reedy Creek is slated to dissolve in June.

DeSantis in April approved plans to dissolve Disney’s private government — the Reedy Creek Improvement District after a political clash between himself and the entertainment giant.

But a Financial Times report published Friday suggested DeSantis underwent a change of heart, alleging he and Republican lawmakers may reverse course and leave the private government unscathed with only minor changes.

Bryan Griffin, who serves as DeSantis’ press secretary, provided Spectrum News a statement disputing the report.

“Governor DeSantis does not make “U-turns,” Griffin wrote in an email. “The governor was right to champion removing the extraordinary benefit given to one company through the Reedy Creek Improvement District.”

Disney’s self-governing status provides the company with a slew of unique privileges. Those privileges, among others, include the ability to manage its own roadways, utilities and emergency services. Disney also enjoys a special tax status and may draft its building codes and regulations. 

Those benefits, however, came under fire in March after former Disney CEO Bob Chapek publicly rebuked a GOP-carried proposal in the 2022 Legislative Session.

The measure-turned-law, known formally as the Parental Rights in Education Bill, restricts classroom teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through the third grade. Critics labelled the proposal the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

Chapek initially remained silent on the proposal despite mounting public pressure, but he later published a statement against the measure. The move angered DeSantis and Republican lawmakers. Soon after, they marched legislation stripping Disney of its self-governance. Disney’s special status is scheduled to end June 2023, ending its five-decade tenure.

“They brought this on themselves. All we did was stand up for what is right,” DeSantis told Fox News’ Tucker Carlson on Wednesday. “Yes, they are a big, powerful company, but you know what? We stand up for our folks and I don’t care what a Burbank, California-based company says about our laws.”

The fallout carries massive implications, particularly for nearby taxpayers in Orange and Osceola counties, as Reedy Creek holds roughly $1 billion in bond debt. Details are few on who and how lawmakers will square away the sum. DeSantis, however, is vowing that residents will not pick up the tab.   

“We will have an even playing field for businesses in Florida, and the state certainly owes no special favors to one company, “Griffin added. “Disney’s debts will not fall on the taxpayers of Florida. A plan is in the works and will be released soon.”

House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell is among those who will navigate the rearranged relationship in the upcoming year. Driskell leads the Democratic Caucus in the Florida House and described the plan to scrap Disney’s self-governing status as political theater with serious consequences for Floridians.

Driskell told Spectrum News she is hopeful Disney will regain its status for the stake of residents and Florida’s economy. She also considers the fallout a “distraction” from pressing issues like property insurance and housing affordability. 

“The Republicans have been in a one-sided game of chicken basically with a brick wall,’ Driskell said. “They can stop playing this game anytime that they would like and I suggest that they do it sooner rather than later so that we can really get back to the business of the people.”

Negotiations between Disney and state leaders remain ongoing ahead of the upcoming 2023 Legislative Session.

Republican Rep. Randy Fine of Palm Bay spearheaded the effort to dissolve Reedy Creek. He dismissed suggestions that lawmakers will reverse course and maintains it was the right choice. 

The company, Fine argues, possesses unparalleled powers, like the right to exercise eminent domain. He further noted that theme parks like Sea World and Universal are without similar arrangements.

Fine also highlighted Disney’s decision to bring back former CEO Bob Iger, who previously led the company for 15 years before stepping down. Iger retook the reigns after Disney fired Bob Chapek in November.

“I am optimistic that under Bob Iger Disney may choose to return to focusing on products and not politics,” said Fine. “They’ve lost their way and I am hopeful they find their way back.” 

Iger in late November held a town hall meeting with Disney employees, where he addressed concerns about the company’s relationship with Florida’s political leadership. 

Iger told attendees he is still examining the “ramifications” and said he was sorry to the company locked into a political battle after his departure.

“What I can say is the state of Florida has been important to us for a long time and we have been very important to the state of Florida,” said Iger.

The 2023 Legislative Session begins in March.