The Florida Senate passed a bill on Thursday that permits a tourism board appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to nullify development agreements signed by its predecessor board, which is the latest move against Walt Disney Co. by the conservative leader.
The bill authorizes the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board, which oversees development within and surrounding Disney’s theme parks, to cancel agreements signed up to three months before the board’s establishment. The board was created by Florida’s legislature in February, succeeding the Reedy Creek Improvement District as the body responsible for overseeing the 25,000 acres surrounding the Walt Disney World resort.
Disney did not respond to a request for comment on the bill. Last month, Disney filed a lawsuit against DeSantis, accusing him of unlawfully using state power to penalize the corporation for exercising its freedom of speech rights, while the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board filed its lawsuit this week seeking to revoke agreements that favor Disney.
