Disney wants to prove to Ron DeSantis that this mouse has sharp teeth.
The media and entertainment giant filed a lawsuit in federal court against Florida’s governor and the board that oversees the development of the Walt Disney World theme park, claiming the company was stripped of its First Amendment rights, The New York Times reported.
“In the United States, the government cannot punish you for speaking your mind,” Disney said in the complaint, according to The Times.
Additionally, the suit says DeSantis has “armed” the government against Disney in “revenge for expressing political views.”
A spokeswoman for DeSantis said Disney’s lawsuit has no merit.
“We don’t know of any legal right for corporations to run their own government or maintain privileges that no other business in the state has,” she told the New York Times.
The Times notes that until recently, before Florida and the company got into such a bitter fight, you were more likely to get Disney to change its logo to Bugs Bunny.
It’s the latest blow in an ongoing feud between Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney, dating back to Disney’s opposition to so-called “don’t say gay” laws that limit discussions in schools about gender identity and sexuality. sexual orientation.
This drew the ire of DeSantis, who began publicly berating Disney. He recently floated the idea of building a prison next to an Orlando theme park.
He is not done. At his urging, the state legislature gave DeSantis, in a special session in February, the authority to appoint board members who oversee the development of the Walt Disney World theme parks.
The law came after Disney quietly moved to extend control of its theme parks in Florida for at least another 30 years.
The current board member, who was appointed by DeSantis, said last week that Disney’s future multibillion-dollar expansion deal in Orlando was “null and void” and “unenforceable.” NBC News Report.
Disney, the state’s largest employer and a cash cow for Florida, raked in $1.2 billion in local and state taxes last year, according to public disclosures.
— Ted Glazer
