ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Nearly a 12 months after state lawmakers handed a legislation giving Florida’s governor management over Walt Disney World’s governing district, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday known as the takeover successful, regardless of an exodus of employees, ongoing litigation and scandal surrounding one in all his appointees.
DeSantis made a victory lap of kinds throughout a information convention at Disney World, touting a first-round victory in litigation with Disney over who controls the district, which had been led by Disney supporters for greater than 5 many years till the takeover final 12 months.
The governor additionally mentioned the takeover of the district together with his appointees had created extra transparency and accountability, decreased the tax burden for Disney and out of doors outlets and eating places on the theme park resort and made the awarding of contracts by the district extra aggressive. The district offers municipal companies comparable to firefighting, planning and mosquito management, amongst different issues.
“That could be a win, not only for individuals on this area, however the state of Florida,” DeSantis mentioned.
DeSantis’ go to to Disney World got here three weeks after a federal choose in Tallahassee dismissed Disney’s free speech lawsuit towards the governor and his appointees to the board of the governing district. Disney is interesting the ruling.
Disney had argued that the laws which transferred control of the district from Disney supporters to DeSantis appointees was in retaliation for the corporate publicly opposing the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. The 2022 legislation banned classroom classes on sexual orientation and gender id in early grades and was championed by DeSantis, who had used Disney as a punching bag in speeches on the marketing campaign path till he suspended his campaign for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination earlier this 12 months.
A separate lawsuit over who controls the district continues to be pending in state court docket in Orlando. Earlier than management of the district modified arms early final 12 months, the Disney supporters on its board signed agreements with Disney shifting management over design and building at Disney World to the corporate. The brand new DeSantis appointees claimed the “eleventh-hour deals” neutered their powers, and the district sued the corporate in state court docket to have the contracts voided.
Disney has filed counterclaims that embody asking the state court docket to declare the agreements legitimate and enforceable.
Because the takeover, round 50 of the district’s 370 staff have departed, elevating questions on how nicely the district is ready to function with so many vacancies. Most of the departing employees complained that the district has develop into politicized, that politically-connected associates have been employed or awarded contracts, and that the backgrounds of the 5 DeSantis appointees have been distracting.
One of many appointees, Bridget Ziegler, a co-founder of Mothers for Liberty, has been known as out for hypocrisy after admitting to a sexual relationship along with her husband and one other girl, regardless that the Zieglers very publicly have fought towards LGBTQ+ rights. Her husband, Christian Ziegler, lately was ousted as the top of the Republican Occasion of Florida, and the Sarasota Police Division has asked prosecutors to cost him with illegally video recording the sexual encounter he had with the girl.
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Comply with Mike Schneider on X, previously often known as Twitter: @MikeSchneiderAP.
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