Renner says he won’t consider reviving Disney’s Reedy Creek district
TALLAHASSEE — House Speaker Paul Renner said he won’t consider reinstating the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which lies at the heart of a feud between Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Walt Disney Co.
Renner, R-Palm Coast, said he supported changes last year that renamed the district as the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and gave DeSantis power to appoint the district’s board.
“I think we’ve gone on the right path at least, I don’t want to go back,” Renner said.
The Democrat-dominated Orange County legislative delegation on Friday backed a bill that seeks another redo of the district. The measure faced a nearly impossible path through the Republican-dominated Legislature, even before Renner’s comments.
Disney and DeSantis began feuding in 2022 after the company criticized a state law that restricts classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation.
The Reedy Creek district was created by the state in the 1960s and had authority over issues such as land use, fire protection and sewer services on land that includes Disney World theme parks and resorts.