The Walt Disney World Resort is in danger of losing its special status in the US state of Florida. A majority of parliament voted in favor of a law that would make the company pay more tax. In the background is the position that the company has about the strict gender law which was recently adopted.
Only conservative Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has yet to sign the bill. Once that is done, the law will come into effect in June 2023.
Own rules
The happiest place on earth, the happiest place on earth. That is what the amusement park near Orlando in Florida is also called. The company hardly has to pay any tax, but has a great deal of control over the territory of 11,000 hectares.
In 1967 the state government gave the company this status. It means, among other things, that Disney can issue bonds and have its own utilities and emergency services, such as a fire department. Disney can also make zoning plans and build infrastructure on its own authority.
This allowed Disney to become one of the largest private employers in Florida. With 50 million visitors a year, the company is also the largest and most visited amusement park in the world.
But a 70-to-38 majority in the Florida legislature now wants the special status to end. With the law it becomes Reedy Creek Improvement Districtas the ‘Disney government’ is called, has been abolished.
Arguing about gender law
Officially, this is because parliament wants the company to pay more taxes, but in the background there are other issues that are against the sore leg of the conservative Republican majority in parliament.
At the end of last month, Governor DeSantis signed the popularly so-called don’t say gaylaw, which prohibits schools from discussing gender or sexual orientation with young children. Disney recently spoke out against that law, albeit under pressure. Initially, the company did not comment on it, but when it was criticized by LGBTI staff, among others, Disney still condemned the law.
Disney announced, among other things, that it would stop making donations to politicians in Florida. That led to a storm of criticism from Republican quarters at Disney.
“If Disney wants to argue, they chose the wrong one,” Governor DeSantis said. “I was elected governor to put the people of Florida first. And I will not allow any… woke California company is going to run our state.”
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