The Florida Senate has passed a bill that intends to yank Disney’s longstanding special status that has given it unique autonomy for decades in terms of self-governing.
The bill passed during a special session that Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) called after Disney publicly opposed and mislabeled Florida’s new Parental Rights in Education law that prohibits schools from teaching sexually-charged themes and theories to young children.
Disney and other critics dubbed the bill “Don’t Say Gay,” though the bill does not address anything specific to gay people. The law was passed in response to parents objecting to their children being taught controversial ideologies about gender and sex-related topics.
If Florida’s Republican-led House concurs with the Senate, it would toss out a special district established for Disney World in 1967 that allows the entertainment giant to be its own government including fire protection, emergency services, utilities, and planning on Disney World property, largely independent from typical local government oversight. Authority would revert back to Orange and Osceola counties.
DeSantis press secretary Christina Pushaw is quoted in The Epoch Times as saying: “It was unfortunate that Disney decided to wade into a political debate and attempt to overturn a common-sense law, enacted by a duly elected legislature and signed by a duly elected governor, with the support of the vast majority of Floridians. In fact, it was Disney that ‘retaliated’ by publicly vowing to ‘repeal’ or have the law ‘struck down’.”
Florida Rep. Spencer Roach (R-North Ft. Myers) tweeted: “If Disney wants to embrace woke ideology, it seem fitting that they should be regulated by Orange County.”
Disney has continued to oppose the Parental Rights law, seeing it as an attack on gay rights, and says it hopes to help get the law reversed.
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God bless you Sheryl for being true to honest journalism.
The idea makes sense, but the legislature has left some terms undefined. They need to determine when such topics are not “age appropriate” (term currently in the law). All we hear is it will keep such topics out of K-3rd grades, a good idea, but leaves the rest open.
Now, Disney just stated it did not like the law. A matter of free speech? DeSantis is “banning” them just like when Twitter or Facebook see something they do not like. He is behaving as badly as those social media sites and pulling away from the GOPs long held position of letting communities and companies decide for themselves on certain issues, i.e., mask wearing in schools and expressing opinions. Free speech is on the way out in FL politics.
So what? It’s about time.
The difference here is it’s young kids. They have to be protected. Besides it’s not a free speech issue it’s about what is allowed to be taught in school to our little ones. If the teacher started teaching from the Bible she couldn’t claim free speech gives her the right to teach anything she wants. She would be stopped and free speech wouldn’t be the issue.
What is most interesting to me about this whole controversy is the history. Apparently, back in 1967, Florida politicians decided that it would be a good idea (good for the state and its people) to allow Disney to be their own governing district. And now they are deciding that it’s not such a good idea. And why would that be? Did Disney renege on some promises regarding fire protection or emergency services? Has Disney been accused of unfair labor practices or of creating an unsafe working environment? Has Disney used its special status to engage in illegal activities? Nope to all of those questions. What has Florida politicians so riled up has absolutely zero to do with the reasons for which the special status was granted. If it was such a great idea to grant them the special status in the first place (and I have no idea if it was a good idea or not), shouldn’t there be a reason related to their management of that special status to justify revoking it? Apparently, Florida politicians think not.
We have been subjected to article after article in this newsletter bemoaning the “censorship” of conservative commentary on social media. Yet it has never been pointed out that these are private businesses, and, technically, it is only the government that can truly “censor” (private businesses are allowed to decide for themselves what content they want to allow). The almost frightening thing about this whole story is that we now see a governmental entity punishing a private business for their political statements (And if you don’t believe Disney is being punished, you have to believe that it was just happenstance that made Florida reconsider Disney’s status at the same time of Disney’s statement. And if you believe that, I’ve got some proverbial swamp land to sell you). That is truly censorship. But you wouldn’t know that from reading this article. But at least we get another quote from the Epoch Times.
Every time one of those articles appears, there are lots of reader comments jumping on the “it’s censorship” bandwagon. Where are all of those folks now?
I have already reacted to their far leftist sexual deviancy support.I won’t buy anything remotely connected with Disney.