DeSantis Moves to Mend Fences with Disney

(RepublicanDaily.org) – Following backlash for his continued tiff with media and entertainment giant Disney, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appears to have taken a tamer approach towards his issues with the House of Mouse, stating in an interview with CNBC that Florida and the company should “move forward.”

DeSantis pointed out that he and his wife, Casey, got married at Disney World in Orlando and that “we’ve appreciated working with them over the years.” The Florida governor also called on the company to “go back to what you (Disney) did well, which he said would be the “right business decision.”

However, DeSantis appeared to dig in regarding his decision to take away Disney’s administrative authority over its more than 25,000-acre property in the state, saying that he did not approve of “giving extraordinary privileges” to a specific company “at the exclusion of everybody else.” DeSantis was referring to Disney’s rival entertainment parks, Universal Studios and SeaWorld, that also operate their own properties in Florida.

“This is a great place to do business,” DeSantis stated, telling Disney, “Your competitors all do very well here.”

But the governor also warned Disney to drop the lawsuit against the state of Florida, asserting that ‘they’re going to lose that lawsuit.”

The two parties initially became at odds after Disney voiced its public and corporate opposition to Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law, which bans discussion of sexual issues in schools from kindergarten to 3^rd grade. DeSantis responded by stripping Disney’s power to appoint the board of its special taxing district, replacing it with his own appointees. He has also joked about building a prison next to Disney World, and the new board he put in place slashed $8 million off the budget for the law enforcement in Disney properties, that aside from theme parks, also include water parks, gold courses, and many hotels, restaurants, and other business establishments.

For its part, Disney pulled out a $1 billion planned investment in the state what would have seen 2,000 jobs from California relocated to Florida and the building of a massive new campus close to Disney World.