Florida lawmakers to meet for special session next week to address Disney’s special governing powers

Florida lawmakers will return to the state Capitol in Tallahassee subsequent week to finalize their efforts to strip the Walt Disney Firm of its particular governing powers, the newest spherical of the yearlong feud between Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the leisure large.

Home and Senate leaders knowledgeable lawmakers Friday afternoon that the legislature will maintain a particular session beginning Monday that may embody modifications to the Reedy Creek Enchancment District, the elected board that successfully provides Disney management over the land in and round its central Florida theme parks.

DeSantis put Reedy Creek in his sights final yr after Disney’s then-CEO, Bob Chapek, publicly criticized Florida for passing a invoice to limit sure classroom instruction of sexual orientation and gender identification. DeSantis known as lawmakers right into a particular session final yr to dissolve Reedy Creek by mid-2023. Nonetheless, the state didn’t have a plan on the time for what got here subsequent.

Talking at a information convention earlier this week, DeSantis laid out a legislative framework for the state to imagine management of the district.

“We’re not going to have an organization controlling its personal authorities; that’s going to be reverted to the state,” DeSantis mentioned. “Disney won’t have governing self-governing standing anymore. We’re going to guarantee that there are not any particular authorized privileges … after which ensuring they’re paying their fair proportion of taxes and paying the debt.”

This story has been up to date with further info.