ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill to dissolve Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District on Friday afternoon.
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Central Florida leaders on both sides of the political spectrum responded to the news. See what they had to say below:
Florida agriculture commissioner Nikki Fried
“Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions in politics. This is one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever made. Any Member of the Florida House who stayed on the floor in protest of the racist, unconstitutional maps proposed by Ron DeSantis will receive an automatic endorsement from me. These brave members of the legislature will receive funding from my political action committee, as well as any support I can provide, no matter who they run against, no matter the dynamics of their race. I would like to say a special word of thanks to those with the courage to stand on the House floor in protest.”
I'm in awe of the bravery of Florida’s Dem Black caucus. They showed us what it means to put your body on the line & fight for our democracy.
— Nikki Fried (@NikkiFried) April 22, 2022
That's why I'm announcing that I'm personally endorsing EVERY House Dem that stood in solidarity & will invest in all of their campaigns.
READ: DeSantis signs bill to dissolve Disney’s self-governing power
Rep. Randy Fine
BREAKING: Disney is a guest in Florida. Today, we remind them. @GovDeSantis just expanded the Special Session so I could file HB3C which eliminates Reedy Creek Improvement District, a 50 yr-old special statute that makes Disney to exempt from laws faced by regular Floridians.
— Rep. Randy Fine (@VoteRandyFine) April 19, 2022
Rep. Val Demings
“It’s wrong for politicians to play political games with working families’ livelihoods because Disney doesn’t share their hateful agenda. Either Disney pays the hundreds of millions of dollars for police, fire, and other services, or taxpayers do. This reckless legislation could offload billions in debt onto people like my parents, a maid and a janitor, who worked hard every day to put food on the table. It’s wrong for this political foolishness to threaten people’s livelihoods. Hardworking Central Florida families cannot be caught in the middle of these political games.”
Disney/Reedy Creek statement pic.twitter.com/uWsXGTjnYG
— Rep. Val Demings (@RepValDemings) April 22, 2022
READ: Disney’s defense against Reedy Creek dissolution might not be easy
Rep. Anna Eskamani
DeSantis signed 3 different culture war bills into law, including HB7 to censor the teaching of difficult but important topics in history, & the canceling of Reedy Creek. He has no regard for the potential tax increases we could see in Central FL or for freedom of speech either.
— Rep. Anna V. Eskamani 🔨 (@AnnaForFlorida) April 22, 2022
Orange County tax collector
IF Reedy Creek goes away, the $105 million it collects to operate services goes away. That doesn’t just transfer to Orange County because it’s an independent taxing district. However, Orange County then inherits all debt and obligations with no extra funds.
— Scott Randolph (@ElectRandolph) April 20, 2022
READ: End of Reedy Creek: Disney won’t pay more taxes, but you will
Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith
Good AM. Florida Republicans just passed the most partisan map in the country.
— Rep. Carlos G Smith (@CarlosGSmith) April 22, 2022
This required shredding the constitution, which they gladly did.
It also required the open strangulation of Black voting power, which appeared to give #DeSantis personal satisfaction. #DontSayBlack pic.twitter.com/8zHwGlN2r6
State Rep. Michael Grieco
The FL Legislature cannot unilaterally dissolve Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District. It’s an exercise in futility…
— Michael Grieco (@Mike_Grieco) April 19, 2022
This whole thing is an effort to deflect attention away from the unconstitutional redistricting of Congressional districts and diluting of the black vote.
Read: Court battle? Negotiation? What’s next for Reedy Creek
Former Gov. Charlie Christ
In just 4 months, @GovRonDeSantis has:
— Charlie Crist (@CharlieCrist) April 22, 2022
- Banned textbooks
- Hijacked the drawing of fair congressional districts
- Restricted a woman's right to choose
- Prohibited saying gay in the classroom
- Failed to divest millions from Russia
Florida can't afford four more years.
National Redistricting Foundation
“Republicans across the country tried - and completely failed - to gerrymander their way to a congressional majority. In response to this defeat, DeSantis has bullied the legislature into enacting a map that does not allow for a fair electoral contest, and instead draws Republicans an illegitimate and illegal partisan advantage that they have not earned from the voters. And it does so at the expense of black voters in Florida who are being denied fair representation in Congress,” said Eric H. Holder, Jr., the 82nd Attorney General of the United States.”
Florida Democratic Chair Manny Diaz
“The Congressional maps that Governor DeSantis signed today are both a racial and partisan gerrymander. Not only do the maps diminish the ability of Black Floridians to elect a candidate of their choice, they are deliberately drawn to benefit the Republican Party and punish voters who disagree with Ron DeSantis. These maps are exactly what the Fair District amendments to the Florida Constitution, which Floridians overwhelmingly passed over ten years ago, were intended to stop. I wholeheartedly support the legal challenges that have been brought and expect the courts to enforce and uphold the Florida Constitution.”
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