DeSantis Has ‘Done Considerable Damage’ And Central Florida is Finally Fighting Back

The dispute between The Walt Disney Company and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has had several twists and turns, some of them have bordered on absurd, but what it has really revealed are some of the more significant issues in Central Florida. While the Florida governor stripped Disney World of its self-governing District, many stood idly by and watched, either out of fear of retribution from the governor or disdain for Disney.

Related: Complete And Total Reversal, Florida Bill Would End DeSantis Disney District

Last month, in its response in Federal Court to the governor’s request to dismiss the case, Disney warned that this type of government retaliation could happen to anyone with a “disfavorable viewpoint.” Disney wrote in its brief:

Governor DeSantis and his allies are engaged in an ongoing constitutional mutiny…If the line is not drawn here, there is no line at all. The retaliation against Disney for crossing the Governor’s ‘line’ was swift and severe: for the explicitly-stated purpose of punishing Disney for its comments, the State immediately stripped Disney of its voting rights in the governing body that oversees Disney’s use of its own private property.

And now, it appears that Central Florida is starting to head Disney’s warning, and the tide of public opinion is turning in Disney’s favor.

Related: Disney Wants To Remind Florida That Its More Valuable to the State Than DeSantis

The Turning Tide

It started last week when State Sen. Linda Stewart (D) was preparing to introduce a bill to return control of the Reedy Creek Improvement District to Disney World. Stewart, who represents Orlando in the state legislature, said that she plans on meeting with the Orange County delegation after Thanksgiving to discuss the bill that would repeal the law that Governor DeSantis passed stripping Disney of the Reedy Creek Improvement District and replacing it with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

And now the Orlando Sentinel has decided to jump on the bandwagon. The Sentinel published a scathing editorial calling the Florida Legislature to step up and stop Florida Gov Ron DeSantis before he further damages the former Reedy Creek Improvement District.

The Sentinel wrote:

Nobody foresaw a day when the vengeful, political whims of one man could turn the peaceful kingdom of Reedy Creek into Disney’s greatest vulnerability. And if Gov. Ron DeSantis is forced to return to Florida, embittered after watching his presidential aspirations burn, there is no telling the mischief he could wreak. Someone must stop him. And those champions must rise from a group he has already conquered: The Florida Legislature, which should act in the coming session to curb the governor’s grasp over the former district.

The Orlando Sentinel also called attention to the many DeSantis loyalists receiving huge paydays from the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District despite a lack of experience running a District the size of Reedy Creek. Many DeSantis appointees have found the new Board incredibly lucrative, including Glen Gilzean, who is paid $400,000 as the District administrator.

Related: More Employees Flee DeSantis Disney District As It Is No Longer ‘Functional’

The employees at Reedy Creek have started to notice, with 44 of the 370 employees leaving the District since the new Board took over in February. In their exit interviews, some employees called the District “politicized” and worried it was “no longer functional.”

Why Now?

While the cat is away, the mice will play. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is currently running for the Republican presidential nomination, and it’s not going well. He now finds himself fighting for second place with former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley in the early primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire. However, both are trailing former President Donald Trump by at least 40 percent in most polls.

And should he lose the nomination, DeSantis will return to Florida with less than two years remaining in the governor’s office. He is term-limited and will be out of office in 2026. Perhaps that is why Stewart introduced the bill when she did. She is hoping that Republicans, who control both houses of the Florida Legislature, are regretting their original vote and will change their minds.

It also helps that Disney recently released a report reminding Central Florida what the Walt Disney World Resort means to the area. According to the report, Disney World adds more than $40 billion in statewide economic activity either directly or indirectly. Disney also reminded the Florida Legislature that Disney World will be there much longer than the current governor.

The momentum seems to be shifting in Disney’s favor, but what matters more is the legal momentum. That will be decided on December 12, when a Federal judge will determine the future of Disney’s special District and its First Amendment case against the governor.

This post is originally appeared on Disney Fanatic.