LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a a news conference in Lake Buena Vista Monday morning to sign new state legislation stripping Disney of its self-governing status in the state.
He spoke at Reedy Creek Fire Station #4.
The governor signed state legislation taking over the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which is operated by Walt Disney World, in retribution for the company’s stance against the state’s Parental Rights in Education bill, known to critics as “Don’t Say Gay.”
The legislation renames the district the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
“Allowing a corporation to control its own government is bad policy, especially when the corporation makes decisions that impact an entire region,” DeSantis said. “This legislation ends Disney’s self-governing status, makes Disney live under the same laws as everybody else, and ensures that Disney pays its debts and fair share of taxes.”
The legislation imposes a five-member state control board on the new district.