Disney fires back that it should be declared winner in Florida lawsuit
Disney asked a judge Friday to declare it the winner in the ongoing legal battle with the tourism oversight board handpicked by Gov. Ron DeSantis to run the company’s development interests in Central Florida.
Disney filed a motion in Orange County Circuit Court on Friday objecting to Tuesday’s motion by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District seeking to declare it the victor in the lawsuit.
In the suit, the state wants development agreements limiting the board’s authority over Disney’s future development to be made null and void.
But Disney argued that doing that would violate its First Amendment and due process rights, its lawyers wrote. It has asked the court to declare unconstitutional the legislation signed into law by DeSantis that strips it of its authority to govern over its 25,000 acres in Central Florida and stop the state from enforcing it.
The feud began last year when Disney’s CEO at the time criticized the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law DeSantis signed last year that bans most classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity. The CEO said Disney would fight to repeal the law, and DeSantis and his legislative allies took measures to dissolve Disney’s self-governing body of the last five decades, the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
The board had power over governance and development functions, including water, sewer, roads and fire.
In February, the Legislature passed a bill quickly signed into law by DeSantis that let the state take over Reedy Creek, rename it the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, and have its members appointed by DeSantis allies.
At its final meeting before it was dissolved, the Reedy Creek board voted on two measures preserving its control over its growth and development and preventing the DeSantis Disney board from deciding future development plans.
The new board claimed that the old one didn’t follow proper meeting notification procedures or the state’s public notice requirements. Disney lawyers said the board didn’t have standing and failed to assert it was entitled to receive notice.
Earlier this week, DeSantis told a CNBC reporter that it was time for the company to move on from the dispute.
Disney has a separate lawsuit in federal court against DeSantis and state officials claiming it was the victim of a coordinated campaign of retaliation for speaking out against DeSantis.