Florida moves to rescind Disney’s special privileges

The state House of Representatives voted Thursday to dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District, more commonly known as Walt Disney World, which spans 25,000 acres in two Florida counties, two cities, and dozens of miles of roadway. The bill heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis next. He is expected to sign it quickly. The bill gives the state a year to figure out how to dissolve the district. The conflict stems from Disney’s decision to revoke all political funding in the state and oppose a new law that protects schoolchildren in kindergarten through third grade from exposure to lessons about sexual orientation. “Disney and other woke corporations won’t get away with peddling their unchecked pressure campaigns any longer,” DeSantis said.

What does this mean for Disney? The improvement district has existed since 1967 when the company got approval to build its own roads, set up utilities, and make changes to the theme parks without state approval. The Legislature’s move could hit the company and surrounding counties financially. Reedy Creek has an annual budget of $355 million and $977 million of debt. It is unclear whether state counties would assume those amounts.

Dig deeper: Read Jerry Bowyer’s article in WORLD Opinions about what he saw at Disney’s annual shareholder meeting.