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- Ron DeSantis' board is trying to claw back its power over the Disney World special district.
- Disney had stripped its governing board of power in an attempt to render DeSantis' board powerless.
- DeSantis' hand-picked board has drafted a proposal that would give it "superior authority" over.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' hand-picked board is trying to claw back "superior authority" over Walt Disney World after the company's previous board hamstrung its power, according to a proposal viewed by the Orlando Sentinel.
The action from the board is the latest move in the closely watched power struggle over who controls Disney's land. DeSantis pledged during a stop in Michigan last week that he would void Disney's actions to maintain its power, and that he would also consider taxes on hotels, new tolls, and developing properties.
The DeSantis-Disney feud began last year, after Disney executives pledged they would work to repeal the Parental Rights in Education Act, the legislation LGBTQ rights groups and Democrats have derided as "Don't Say Gay," because it limits classroom instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation.
DeSantis ultimately signed a bill into law that would allow him to appoint board members to oversee Disney's land. But days before that happened, Disney invoked an obscure property law under the former board that essentially rendered the DeSantis-appointed board toothless.
And now, in his latest move, DeSantis filed a resolution dubbing his own board the "superior authority" over the entire Disney World district, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
If enacted, the resolution would give DeSantis' board complete control "over comprehensive planning, zoning, land development regulations, environmental protection regulations, and platting and subdivision regulations," the resolution states, according to the Sentinel.
"It may have been the case that Disney ran the state of Florida in the 60 years prior to me being governor," DeSantis said in Michigan last week, "but they do not run it as long as this sheriff is in town."
The proposal will be reviewed at the next board meeting on April 19, the Sentinel reported.
This isn't DeSantis' first attempt to retaliate against Disney, though the various moves have targeted a provision long on the books that gives the resort and theme park special self-governing privileges in Florida — privileges that many other businesses, including rival theme parks such as Sea World and Universal Studios, don't have.
DeSantis first signed a bill into law in April 2022 to dissolve the Reedy Creek district that oversees Disney. But when it was revealed the measure could have resulted in residents taking on a sizeable amount of debt through higher taxes, the legislature sent DeSantis a new bill in February 2023, during a special session, creating the governor-appointed board.
Disney, however, had written the loophole to keep majority of its power, virtually in perpetuity. The latest action the Orlando Sentinel published Wednesday aims to reassert control.
It's not the only move from the DeSantis administration. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody requested texts, emails, and other public records from the former board members of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. DeSantis also asked the state inspector general to look into Disney's power play, including by assessing whether the mega-corporation's executives, staff, or agents were involved.
The governor's appointees to the board are consulting with four different law firms over the matter, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Disney has said its move was "discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums."