The Florida Senate passed a bill on Wednesday that dissolved the special self-governing status, the ability to operate a private government over its properties, given to Disney over 50 years ago. Florida seems to be one of the few states standing up for our children and parents’ rights.
The newest move comes as Disney and its employees continue to push back against the MSM labeled “Don’t Say Gay” bill which is not that all. Leftists are up in arms that Governor Ron DeSantis and republicans are giving more rights to parents on what their children are taught in schools and stopping discussions surrounding anything sexual with very young children.
Florida’s SB 4-C was passed by a margin of 23-16.
The Reedy Creek Improvement Act was signed into law in May 1967 by Governor Claude Kirk. Disney proposed building a recreation-oriented development on 25,000 acres of property in Orange and Osceola counties.
Since the counties did not have the resources needed to bring this massive project to life, Disney lobbied the state legislature to establish the Reedy Creek Improvement District. This special taxing district allowed Disney to act with the same authority and responsibility as a county government.
Why was this ever even considered a good idea? Would we be in the mess we’re in now had Disney never been granted such a ridiculous privilege?
The bill passed a day after DeSantis called on the legislature.
“I am announcing today that we are expanding the call of what they are going to be considering,” DeSantis said during a press conference at The Villages in Florida. “Yes, they will be considering the congressional map but they also will be considering termination of all special districts that were enacted in Florida prior to 1968 and that includes the Reedy Creek Improvement District.”
“What I would say as a matter of first principle is I don’t support special privileges in law just because a company is powerful and they’ve been able to wield a lot of power,” DeSantis said during a press conference last month as he was engaged in a war of words with Disney over a bill he signed which prohibits classroom instruction on “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” with children in third grade or younger “or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
Disney has been vocal about the bill and the fact that the grooming of children is coming to an end because parents are fed up with all of it.
“Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law,” Disney said. “Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that. We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country.”
In a statement to Fox News, DeSantis Press Secretary Christina Pushaw argued that it’s not “retaliatory” for the state to pass legislation that “allows all corporations to do business on a more even playing field.”
“It was unfortunate that Disney decided to wade into a political debate and attempt to overturn a common-sense law, enacted by a duly elected legislature and signed by a duly elected governor, with the support of the vast majority of Floridians,” Pushaw said. “In fact, it was Disney that ‘retaliated’ by publicly vowing to ‘repeal’ or have the law ‘struck down.’”
Republican Florida State Rep. Joe Harding, who was a sponsor of the controversial parental rights bill, told Fox News he plans to support the bill in the House and said he is surprised Disney CEO Bob Chapek is still employed by the company.
“Disney has given the greatest example you can of what not to do in crisis management,” Harding said in a statement. “How their CEO has not been fired is insane. Florida is continuing to lead. Large corporations must be held accountable.”
The Florida Senate also voted 24-15 on Wednesday to pass a bill that would remove Disney’s exemption in a 2021 law on big tech censorship.
It’s great seeing at least one state standing up for parents and our children. These corporations do not control our children and are not all-powerful. It’s about time they’re being held accountable for their actions.
