Disney Amends Lawsuit Against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis

The Walt Disney Company has filed an amendment to its lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

The company recently sued the DeSantis administration, arguing that the state government’s recent dissolution of the Reedy Creek Improvement District was retaliatory and a violation of the company’s First Amendment rights.

The Fight Over Reedy Creek

Earlier this year, DeSantis and the Florida state legislature voted to dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which had essentially granted the Walt Disney Company autonomy over the land that comprises Walt Disney World.

Reedy Creek

In the waning days of Reedy Creek’s existence, however, Disney and the special district reached a series of binding agreements that gave Disney control over its land in perpetuity.

In the last week, the DeSantis-appointed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and then the Florida state legislature moved to void those agreements.

Photo: The Business Journal

Additional Amendments 

Now, Disney has added the government’s latest actions to its lawsuit.

Photo: Fox Business

“The State’s actions over the last two weeks are the latest strikes,” Disney said in its amended complaint. “At the Governor’s bidding, the State’s oversight board has purported to ‘void’ publicly noticed and duly agreed development contracts, which had laid the foundation for billions of Disney’s investment dollars and thousands of jobs. Days later, the State Legislature enacted and Governor DeSantis signed legislation rendering these contracts immediately void and unenforceable. These government actions were patently retaliatory, patently anti-business, and patently unconstitutional.”

Photo: Maria Tamo/Getty Images

The Governor’s Continuing Threats

While calling the governor’s latest actions unconstitutional, Disney also added the governor’s recent threats to the lawsuit.

““The Governor and his allies have made clear they do not care and will not stop. The Governor recently declared that his team would not only ‘void the development agreement’—just as the State has now done, twice—but also planned ‘to look at things like taxes on the hotels,’ ‘tolls on the roads,’ ‘developing some of the property that the district owns’ with
‘more amusement parks’ and even putting a ‘state prison’ next to Walt Disney World. ‘Who knows? I just think the possibilities are endless,’ he said,” the amendment complaint notes.

Photo: GBN Britain’s News Channel

As always, continue to check back in with MickeyBlog. We will continue to bring you updates on the going developments around Disney’s Reedy Creek lawsuit.

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