Key takeaways:
- Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida signed a bill into law stripping Walt Disney World of its self-governing status in the state.
- The bill is seen as a way for DeSantis to gain political leverage and to punish Disney for its opposition to his “Don’t Say Gay” law.
- It is also seen as a way for DeSantis to gain favor among conservative voters as he gears up for a potential presidential run.
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida signed a bill into law on Monday that strips Walt Disney World of its self-governing status in the state. The bill requires DeSantis, a Republican, to appoint a five-member board to oversee the government services that the Disney district provides in its sprawling theme park properties in Florida.
The signing came as DeSantis gears up for an expected presidential run and marks a high-profile legislative victory for a governor whose leveraging of cultural and political divides has pushed him to the forefront of the Republican Party.
In his new book, “The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival,” DeSantis argues that former Disney CEO Bob Chapek “understood the risk that the company faced” when it weighed in against DeSantis’ efforts to restrict teaching about sexuality and “gender ideology” to Florida students from kindergarten to third grade.
At a bill signing ceremony in Lake Buena Vista, DeSantis said, “Today the corporate kingdom finally comes to an end.” He also wrote that former Disney CEO Bob Iger said the bill would “put Disney in a difficult position.”
The bill is seen as a way for DeSantis to gain political leverage and to punish Disney for its opposition to his “Don’t Say Gay” law. It is also seen as a way for DeSantis to gain favor among conservative voters as he gears up for a potential presidential run.
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