Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said his state is “more competitive” today because the Walt Disney World Resort can no longer govern itself.
On Monday, DeSantis signed a bill restructuring Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District, transferring its control to the state.
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“Florida was basically de facto subsidizing their activism because of this special arrangement,” DeSantis told Fox & Friends Tuesday.
“It’s not good policy to have a corporation control its own government anyways, but particularly under these circumstances,” DeSantis added. “We said the corporate kingdom is going to come to an end. They are not going to have their own government in the state of Florida. They’re going to abide by the same laws as everybody else. They’re going to pay their fair share of taxes and debts in Florida. There’s a new sheriff in town and it’s a new day of accountability in central Florida.”
DeSantis also called Disney’s ability to self-govern “corporate welfare.”
“We’re going to side with the people of Florida,” DeSantis said of his administration’s decision to pursue the dissolving of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. “We’re not going to kowtow to a woke company based in Burbank, California.”
The governor asserted that his state has a “more competitive market” today because of the district restructuring.
DeSantis also noted that Florida’s success in pushing back against the Left is the reason for his popularity among GOP voters.
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“Florida has actually done it right,” he added. “We’ve stood for the right principles. We’ve been willing to fight these fights when it’s not easy, and we’ve stood up for a lot of people and really lifted them up. That’s why the state has succeeded.”
He touted Florida’s increased population, thriving economy, and freedom in education as examples.
