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In the ongoing feud between, The Walt Disney Company has changed its lawsuit against Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis by dropping most of its claims.
Disney filed a free speech lawsuit in federal court against Governor DeSantis.
Disney isn’t happy with DeSantis over Florida’s “Parents Rights in Education” bill. Liberals have nicknamed the bill as “Don’t Say Gay bill.” It was signed into law in March 2022. (Poll: Was Trump better than Biden? VOTE)
The law prevents teachers from discussing sex and gender orientation with young children in grade three or below without parental involvement.
Disney condemned the legislation and says it “should never have passed and should never have been signed into law.”
The company vowed to fight for the bill’s repeal or legal overturn. Disney executives have also vowed to incorporate significantly more LGBTQ+ characters in its shows targeted to children.
DeSantis says the bill protects young children from being groomed by left-wing operatives in the education system.
The governor signed a bill the following month that removed Disney’s control over the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a special tax district that had granted Disney authority akin to a county government.
Disney drops all but free speech claim in political retaliation suit against DeSantis https://t.co/v5j2uZijrK
— CNBC (@CNBC) September 7, 2023
This 189-page bill replaced RCID with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
Disney’s lawsuit against Governor DeSantis opposes what it sees as the “unconstitutional weaponization of government by seeking a declaratory judgment that will allow Disney to pursue its future in Florida free from the ongoing retaliatory actions of the CFTOD Board.”
“Disney faces concrete, imminent, and ongoing injury as a result of CFTOD’s new powers and composition, which are being used to punish Disney for expressing a political view,” Disney said.
“Your competitors all do very well — here at Universal, SeaWorld, they have not had the same special privileges as you have,” the governor said. “So, all we want to do is treat everybody the same and let’s move forward. I’m totally fine with that. But I’m not fine with giving extraordinary privileges to one special company at the exclusion of everybody else.”