On Monday, a federal appellate court allowed Disney to pause its lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for two months. Disney had requested the pause on Friday. This was after Disney reached a settlement with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and creating a path forward for the company and district. The settlement also saw the dropping of state level cases between Disney and the district.
The pausing of the lawsuit was part of the agreement of the settlement between Disney and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. The district, formerly known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, provides municipal services including firefighting, planning and mosquito control, and other services. Disney was up against a deadline of next week to file an opening brief for the appeal to the federal Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The deadline is now set for mid-June now.
The settlement last month paused a two year controversy that has been going between Florida and Governor DeSantis and his followers. It began when Disney spoke out against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. This led to Governor Ron DeSantis first speaking out against the company and then moving to first dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District and then replace it with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. Through the course of this controversy, Disney sued Governor DeSantis and other Florida officials in federal court. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District then counter sued in state court. Disney then also countersued in state court. While this was happening, Governor DeSantis frequently made statements about reigning in “woke Disney” and how there is a new sheriff in town. Most recently, a federal court had dismissed Disney’s court case but Disney had then appealed. This appeal is what was paused.
At this point, it appears that the heightened controversy is cooling down and all parties involved are looking for a way to work peacefully moving forward. There are some checks and balances in the settlement to encourage both sides to work together moving forward. This newest step seems to be one more step on the path towards peace for both sides and for a positive path forward.
What do you think about the most recent developments surrounding the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District? Do you think this is the right path forward for both sides? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
