DeSantis promises to increase oversight of Disney World

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said state lawmakers would reverse any last-minute maneuvers Disney used to decrease the power of a board of supervisors that oversees a special improvement district around the company’s theme parks. The Florida Legislature passed a law in February requiring the governor to appoint the five board members, not Disney. But DeSantis’ appointees claim their predecessors worked with Disney to remove most of their powers before the new board took control.

Why is this happening? Disney has largely governed the area around Disney World for decades without much government oversight. But last year, Disney and DeSantis were at odds after Disney spoke out against the state’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill and promised to help fight it. The law protected young children from learning about sex and gender ideology in public schools.

Dig deeper: Read Mary Muncy’s report in The Sift about how DeSantis signed a bill to protect unborn babies after six weeks of gestation.