The feud between Disney and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is escalating as he moves closer to entering the 2024 race for president.
In a quarterly earnings call with investors this week, Disney CEO Bob Iger questioned whether the state wanted its massive economic investment at all, according to audio posted online by the company.
Lawyers for Disney have already filed a lawsuit in federal court over the state trying to scrap Disney World’s self-government, formerly known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, but Iger’s lengthy response to a question are his longest public statement on the issue.
“Does the state want us to invest more, employ more people, and pay more taxes? Or not?” asked Iger.
The battle began last year when Disney publicly opposed The Parental Rights in Education Act the governor signed into law. The measure, which opponents dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law, limited discussion on gender and sexuality in Florida classrooms for younger grades. The original has since been expanded by the state.
The ongoing feud between the Walt Disney Company and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took another turn with a lawsuit filed against the Republican governor claiming he’s undertaken “a relentless campaign to weaponize government power against Disney.”
The governor and his allies in the Florida legislature are now trying to get rid of Disney’s decades-old deal allowing the company to govern itself. Iger accuses the state of unfairly targeting Disney, saying many of the almost 2,000 other special districts in the state have not faced the same scrutiny. Iger specifically pointed to the district surrounding the Daytona Speedway and The Villages, a wealthy retirement community.
“This is about one thing and one thing only and that’s retaliating against us for taking a position about pending legislation. And we believe that in us taking that