Recently Governor Ron DeSantis said in an interview that he had beaten Disney but the end of this dispute is far from over. Today Disney amended and expanded its lawsuit against DeSantis and other leaders in Florida. Disney said in the addition that Governor DeSantis has doubled down with his “retribution campaign” through recent legislative efforts. “Governor DeSantis and his allies have no apparent intent to moderate their retaliatory campaign any time soon,” Disney wrote. A part of the amended lawsuit also includes the Governor’s own words from the interview among other things.
The expanded lawsuit includes bills that would nullify a development agreement made by Disney and the former Reedy Creek Improvement District. It also now includes another bill that gives Florida oversight over its monorail system. Both are viewed as retaliatory. Republican state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia added that language to the bill that would nullify the development agreement days after warning Disney: “You are not going to win this fight. This Governor will.”
While most Republicans in the state have backed the Governor, several Democrats have been very vocal critics. “The Governor’s inability to grasp basic economics, coupled with his punitive style, has created a bloated and protracted grudge match, which is being bankrolled by the taxpayers,” state Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Democrat, told CNBC. “As the state’s executive, heading the party which has historically yielded to free market principles and less regulation, this third legislative effort to injure a private company is antithetical to conservative governance.”
Pizzo criticized DeSantis for using the state’s revenue on “battling iconic brands.”
“Regardless of how many times he shouts Florida is Free, these are the methods of a socialist tyrant, not a Republican wunderkind,” he said.
Democratic state Sen. Linda Stewart called the feud between DeSantis and Disney “insane.” “Every day it seems like there’s another way that they want to try to make things more difficult for Disney, but all they’re doing is costing taxpayers money to hire lawyers to go defend what they are doing,” Stewart told CNBC on Friday.
Outside of the state, GOP lawmakers and leaders have also encouraged the Governor to negotiate a resolution to this dispute sooner rather than later. Some have shared concern over how the actions will impact businesses coming to Florida and others voice concern about how this dispute represents Republican principles of smaller government that is friendly to business.
Several specific quotes from Governor DeSantis were added to the lawsuit. On May 5th, Governor DeSantis said “[T]his all started, of course, with our parents’ rights bill.” This was during a press conference. The quote was added on the first page of the lawsuit in the introduction. Another quote that was added came from an interview with Newsmax. During the interview, DeSantis said “Since our skirmish last year, Disney has not been involved in any of those issues. They have not made a peep.”
At this point, it appears that both Disney and DeSantis will use any tool that is seen as viable to help further their cause. DeSantis continues to use the power of his position to further it through speeches, statements, and the creation of new laws. Disney continues to use current laws and the Constitution to protect its interests. At this point, the outcome will most undoubtedly come from a protracted legal battle unless some sort of settlement is reached between both sides. Here is a look at the feud between Disney and DeSantis.
What do you think of this expansion to Disney’s lawsuit against DeSantis? What do you think will happen next? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
