Florda-Disney tussle avoided ‘if Bob Iger had been CEO’: DeSantis ally
Florida lawmakers are exploring ways to restore some of the privileges the state stripped of Walt Disney Co. while still dramatically reducing the company’s benefits without ending them all, a key lawmaker said.
Earlier this year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation that would in 2023 abolish a special governorate called Reedy Creek, which has given Disney wide-ranging benefits for half a century unless reinstated by lawmakers. The move was prompted by what the Republican governor saw as Disney’s criticism of a law he signed that restricts elementary school teaching about gender identity.
Rep. Randy Fine, the proponent of the law removing the Florida entertainment giant’s perks, said he was heartened by the overthrow of Disney CEO Bob Chapek last month, who opposed DeSantis’ so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law protested. Fine said the discussions were aided by signs that returning Disney CEO Bob Iger will stay away from Florida politics.
“I think Mr. Iger has already said that it was probably a misstep on the part of the company and how they dealt with it,” Fine said in an interview. “I don’t think we would be in this situation if Bob Iger had been CEO.”
The move pitted DeSantis against one of Florida’s largest and most powerful employers, known for several iconic Orlando theme parks. DeSantis, who is widely believed to be planning a presidential bid in 2024, has made hitting Disney a key element of his so-called “anti-wake” agenda. The Florida governor has repeatedly vowed to go after companies that oppose him in culture war battles over race, gender identity and abortion. Fighting what he called “the Awoken” laid the groundwork for a re-election campaign that gave DeSantis one of the biggest landslide victories by any Republican in November’s US midterm elections.
DeSantis will not “reverse” the law he signed into law earlier this year, his spokesman said. The governor will not reverse commitments to “remove the exceptional benefit that has been granted to a corporation,” press secretary Bryan Griffin said in an emailed statement. “A plan is in the works and will be released soon.”
Iger to calm things down in Florida
One goal would be to ensure Disney is responsible for paying back the nearly $1 billion in municipal bonds issued by the special district, DeSantis said. “We’re going to have a level playing field for businesses in Florida, and the state certainly doesn’t owe a company any special favors,” Griffin said. “Disney’s debt will not fall on Florida taxpayers.”
A Disney spokesman declined to comment. At a recent indoor meeting with Disney employees, Iger said, “Do I like it when the company gets involved in controversy? Of course not.”
“It can be distracting and have a negative impact on the business. As far as I can calm things down, I will,” he said, adding that he is still “up to date” on the situation with Reedy Creek and that he doesn’t have all the details about the impact of Florida’s decision.
The legislation replacing Reedy Creek will aim to remove benefits that no other company besides Disney enjoys, said Fine, who said he is involved in discussions between lawmakers and the governor. Fine declined to comment on the details of the discussions or what privileges might be on the chopping block once new legislation is proposed in the Legislature.
But he cited perks Disney enjoyed, like government-like powers to confiscate land over significant domains and sell bonds. The Reedy Creek Tax District was created by the legislature in 1967 in a treaty that resulted in the construction of Disney World. It gave Disney self-government over 25,000 acres, including oversight of its own building codes and permits, which helped the company build faster.
“I think what you’re probably going to see are some of the things that just don’t make sense,” Fine said. “You know, it’s not going to be, ‘Oops, let’s go back to how it was.’ You will see something significantly different.”
At the wide-ranging meeting with staff, Iger said he would not refrain from Disney being a “good citizen of the world,” which is sometimes wrongly branded as political.
“I think there’s a misunderstanding here about what politics is,” he said. “I think some of the issues that have proven controversial in relation to Disney have been branded as political, and I don’t necessarily think they are.”
– With the support of Thomas Buckley
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