DeSantis signs bill giving board the ability to repeal agreements with Disney World

Florida’s state legislature passed the bill yesterday and Gov. DeSantis signed it today.
 

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a bill into law that gives a new board he controls the power to void development agreements its predecessor body signed with Disney – the latest episode in a feud between the conservative governor and the entertainment giant.

Under the bill, which passed the Republican-controlled legislature largely along party lines, the Central Tourism Oversight District Board – whose members are appointed by DeSantis – can cancel any deals signed up to three months before the board’s creation.

“Make no mistake about it, the reason why the legislature had to act was not because of anything we did,” DeSantis said at a news conference Friday. “It was basically born out of Disney’s arrogance that they would be able to subcontract around the duly enacted laws of the state of Florida. That’s wrong.”

So in theory the new Tourism Oversight board should be able to tear up those last minute agreements Disney essentially made with itself. In fact, the board had already voted to do that even before DeSantis signed this new law. And those moves led to a lawsuit from Disney which was filed last week. Then on Monday of this week, the Tourism Oversight board sued Disney.