Disney cites recent Ron DeSantis gloating as more evidence of a targeted campaign of government retaliation against Disney's free speech

The Walt Disney Company has updated its lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District to include the most recent strikes against the theme park giant.

Disney opens the revised complaint with a quote from DeSantis made on May 5, "[T]his all started, of course, with our parents' rights bill." This statement refers to Disney's claim that it is being unfairly punished for speaking out against the DeSantis bill, known by opponents as "Don't Say Gay."

Disney says, "There is no room for disagreement about what happened here: Disney expressed its opinion on state legislation and was then punished by the State for doing so."

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis continues to boast of his retaliation against Disney for its opposition to his parents' rights bill

The lawsuit then moves on to mention some of the recent DeSantis and Oversight District moves to nullify existing Reedy Creek agreements through the Florida legislature.

The State's actions over the last two weeks are the latest strikes.

At the Governor's bidding, the State's oversight board has purported to "void" publicly noticed and duly agreed development contracts, which had laid the foundation for billions of Disney's investment dollars and thousands of jobs. Days later, the State Legislature enacted and Governor DeSantis signed legislation rendering these contracts immediately void and unenforceable. These government actions were patently retaliatory, patently anti-business, and patently unconstitutional. But the Governor and his allies have made clear they do not care and will not stop. The Governor recently declared that his team would not only "void the development agreement"—just as the State has now done, twice—but also planned "to look at things like taxes on the hotels," "tolls on the roads," "developing some of the property that the district owns" with "more amusement parks," and even putting a "state prison" next to Walt Disney World. "Who knows? I just think the possibilities are endless," he said.

Quoting a recent boast by DeSantis, Disney continues:

"Indeed, just days ago, reaffirming the unequivocal intent of his retribution campaign and trumpeting its perceived success, Governor DeSantis openly celebrated: "Since our skirmish last year, Disney has not been involved in any of those issues. They have not made a peep." This is as clear a case of retaliation as this Court is ever likely to see. At the Governor's behest, the State Legislature first voted to dissolve the long-standing RCID, then ultimately voted to give near-complete control of RCID to the Governor himself. As the Florida representative who introduced the Reedy Creek dissolution bill declared to the Florida House State Affairs Committee: "You kick the hornet's nest, things come up. And I will say this: You got me on one thing, this bill does target one company. It targets The Walt Disney Company."

You can read the complete text of the updated complaint here.

In the lawsuit, Disney asks the Court to:

• Declare that the Legislative Declaration is unlawful and unenforceable because it abrogates Disney’s rights in violation of the Contracts Clause;
• Declare that the Legislative Declaration is an unlawful taking of Disney’s property rights without payment of just compensation in violation of the Takings Clause;
• Declare that the Legislative Declaration is unlawful and unenforceable because it was an arbitrary and irrational voiding of the Development Agreement and Restrictive Covenants in violation of the Due Process Clause;
• Declare that the Legislative Declaration is unlawful and unenforceable because it was enacted in retaliation for Disney’s speech in violation of the First Amendment;
• Declare that the Contracts remain in effect and enforceable;
• Declare that Senate Bill 4C and House Bill 9B are unlawful and unenforceable because they were enacted in retaliation for Disney’s political speech in violation of the First Amendment;
• Issue an order enjoining Defendants from enforcing the Legislative Declaration;
• Issue an order enjoining Defendants from enforcing Senate Bill 4C and House Bill 9B;
• Award Plaintiff its attorney’s fees and costs; and

Reedy Creek Improvement District overview

The next board meeting of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District is on May 10 2023.