DeSantis signs bill giving governor-backed board power to upend Disney deals

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has signed a bill that will allow the board he appointed to oversee Disney World to cancel agreements that Disney made within three months of the board taking over authority. 

The Florida House and Senate quickly passed the legislation on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. DeSantis signed it into law on Friday in response to a move by Disney to subvert the power of the five-member board.

DeSantis confirmed he signed the bill in a letter to Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd (R). 

The law is the most recent effort to exert more state control over the Walt Disney Corp. amid the ongoing fued between the company and the governor. 

The spat began last year after Disney criticized the state’s Parental Rights in Education Act, which restricted the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in K-12 public schools and has been denounced as the “Don’t Say Gay” law by opponents. 

After Disney vowed to work to try to repeal the law and reiterated its support for the LGBTQ community, DeSantis took action to take away special status that Disney had since the 1960s that effectively gave it self-governing power over the Reedy Creek Improvement District. 

DeSantis in response signed legislation to replace Reedy Creek with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, but Disney secretly signed an agreement shortly before the new board took control that gave Disney developmental authority over its park. 

The board voted to declare that agreement void in response, leading Disney to sue DeSantis, alleging that he has harmed the company’s business operations and is violating the company’s constitutional rights to free speech. 

The law will allow the board to nullify the agreement that Disney made, reasserting its authority. 

The legislation states that the board shall review any development agreements previously made within four months of taking office. The subsection establishing the board’s authority to review these agreements is set to expire in July 2028 unless it is extended.