Ron DeSantis

In "The Courage to Be Free," the Florida governor says America is threatened by "elites" and "woke" corporations.

DeSantis beams about stretching the definition of “essential” businesses that could remain open during the first weeks of the pandemic to include WWE wrestling. [ferocious battle with Disney](http://bit.ly/3Z6PbOU), which he calls “the magic kingdom of woke corporatism,” over its public statements opposing a law he signed prohibiting classroom instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. Bush’s attempt to impose a democratic framework on Iraq was a “fool’s errand,” he writes. Later, he volunteered for a deployment to Iraq, where he advised commanders on the rules of battlefield engagement during a surge of U.S. Expect to hear a lot more about DeSantis’s athleticism, vigor and youth — he’ll be 45 during the Republican primaries and 46 when ballots are cast in the 2024 general election — if he faces off against Trump, who will be 78 during the primaries, or President Biden, who will be a few days short of his 82nd birthday on Election Day in November 2024. Years later, when DeSantis embarked on the first of three successful campaigns to represent Florida in Congress, he says he considered his fancy degrees to be “political scarlet letters.” After Harvard, DeSantis skipped joining a big law firm and earned a commission in the U.S. At Yale and Harvard, he encountered professors who “reigned as potentates, sure in the smugness of their positions, but utterly unaware of the lives of most Americans, including those that they professed to care about that.” He excelled, graduating magna cum laude, becoming captain of the baseball team and, as his coach later pointed out at a campaign event, managing a .336 batting average, more than 100 points higher than another Yale baseball captain, President George H.W. Maybe DeSantis is reading, and believing, the polls that say he’d beat Trump in a romp (though others come to the opposite conclusion) and figures there’s no need to attack a Ron DeSantis, who pundits and polls have pegged as the [most formidable challenger to former president Donald Trump](http://bit.ly/3KHfk2K) in the 2024 Republican primary. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, for “stellar” judicial appointments and for funneling big money to Florida for Hurricane Michael relief. A well-worn element of the flirtation season is “the book,” complete with anodyne patriotic, inspirational or leadership-oriented titles.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation on the eve of his new book release stripping away Disney's self-governing status in the state.

Reedy Creek has been around since 1967, when it was created in anticipation of the arrival of Walt Disney World in Central Florida. Still, it also gives DeSantis power on the Reedy Creek board. [ the bill](https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=2023h00009B.rc.DOCX&DocumentType=Analysis&BillNumber=0009B&Session=2023B) almost three weeks ago. “We are focused on the future and are ready to work within this new framework and we will continue to innovate, inspire and bring joy to the millions of guests who come to Florida to visit Walt Disney World each year,” Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World, said after lawmakers approved the Reedy Creek re-do. DeSantis joined with other speakers at the event, including a fire union official, Disney cast member, and longtime fan-turned-enemy of Walt Disney World, in ridiculing the company for its past COVID-19 policies, labor practices, and its inclusionary messaging, which the governor and a few speakers poisoned as “woke.” “It’s like nationalizing a company. It’s truly socialism,” state Sen. While lawmakers last year also approved abolishing the Reedy Creek district by this June, fear this action would shift $700 million in district bond debt to Central Florida taxpayers sparked DeSantis and lawmakers to rework their slap at Disney during an early February special session. The Disney bill (HB 9B) also contained a needed DeSantis fix, by specifically keeping the Reedy Creek debt obligation with the district. The governor Monday again demonized Disney executives for trying to “inject sexuality into a lot of their programming,” a theme DeSantis and his followers deployed repeatedly during last year’s debate over the parental rights legislation. But DeSantis apparently [timed the signing](https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/2023/02/27/florida-gov-desantis-flexes-power-over-disney-on-eve-of-book-launch/69947974007/) to the eve of [his new book release](https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/politics/2023/02/23/ron-desantis-book-launch-seen-precursor-run-president-2024-florida-governor/69936119007/), which he also touted Monday. [ measure stripping away](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/local/state/2022/04/19/florida-gov-ron-desantis-consider-ending-disney-special-privileges-during-legislative-session/7365913001/) [Walt Disney Company’s](https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/) self-governing status, payback after the tourism giant [defied him last year](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/local/state/2022/04/19/florida-gov-ron-desantis-consider-ending-disney-special-privileges-during-legislative-session/7365913001/).

DeSantis' book 'The Courage to be Free' is widely seen as a precursor to him launching his 2024 presidential campaign.

DeSantis’ 2024 prospects grew after he sailed to reelection by a nearly 20-point margin in November, and the governor has increasingly become the target of attacks from Trump, who has dubbed him “Ron DeSanctimonious” and “Meatball Ron.” In line with the flattery for Trump in his book, DeSantis has so far not attacked Trump in response, though when asked about recent comments of Trump’s, DeSantis [responded](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-08/desantis-blasts-trump-for-trying-to-smear-other-republicans?sref=LfZwdw4Z) by saying he doesn’t “spend [his] time trying to smear other Republicans.” In the meantime, the governor has increasingly been traveling to other states outside of Florida, which will ramp up as he promotes his book, and hosted a [retreat](https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-politics-2022-midterm-elections-florida-iowa-39d916a6d7a8057e7c8666fd9cf8d474) last weekend with major Republican officials and donors. “Take out the gauzy abstraction, the heartwarming clichés, and much of what DeSantis is describing in The Courage to Be Free is chilling — unfree and scary.” The governor has garnered national attention and widespread scrutiny for his policies in Florida, particularly attempts to erase purported “Trump supported policies that appealed to the base in a way that GOP leaders in the D.C. Of those who prefer Trump, 42% said DeSantis would be their second-choice candidate. Analysis by political pundits that characterized Trump’s 2016 presidential nomination as a “hostile takeover of the Republican Party” got the issue “exactly backwards,” DeSantis argued in his book. and opposed the Russia collusion conspiracy theory.” [New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/27/books/review/ron-desantis-book.html) review of the book, after the governor told the [New York Post](https://nypost.com/2023/02/18/ron-desantis-takes-the-post-on-tour-of-his-florida-hometown/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&stream=top) he wants to move federal agencies out of Washington, D.C. [penalize Disney](https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/02/08/desantis-set-to-control-disney-worlds-special-district-under-new-bill-heres-what-it-would-do/) for opposing the state’s Parental Rights in Education law, known by critics as “Don’t Say Gay,” DeSantis [said](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/former-disney-ceo-privately-complained-desantis-pressure-woke-left-florida-fight-book) former Disney CEO Bob Chapek privately called him before the bill passed and said Chapek “did not want Disney to get involved, but he was getting a lot of pressure to weigh in against the bill,” describing it as “different” from other pressure the company’s gotten in the past. DeSantis appreciated Trump endorsing him for governor in 2018 because he “knew that a Trump endorsement would provide me with the exposure to GOP primary voters across the State of Florida,” and he and Trump “had developed a good relationship” when DeSantis was in Congress because he “supported his initiatives … Florida Gov.

You can add his abiding support for one of the worst presidents in US history to the list of reasons the Florida governor should not be the next commander ...

[gross a history](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/02/donald-trump-ron-desantis-high-school-girls) with women and young girls [as he does](https://jezebel.com/donald-trump-unironically-calls-ron-desantis-a-groomer-1850088284). [many](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/12/ron-desantis-just-as-bad-as-donald-trump-2024) [reasons](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/02/ron-desantis-2024-election-donald-trump) to fear a Ron DeSantis presidency, despite what some people might be [arguing](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/27/opinion/desantis-trump-president-comparison.html) in the paper of record today. Trump supported policies that appealed to the base in a way that GOP leaders in the DC swamp had been either incapable of doing or unwilling to do.” Could DeSantis soon have less than positive things to say about the ex-president? “Since Ronald Reagan flew back to California on January 20, 1989, the GOP grass roots had been longing for someone who rejected the old-guard way of doing business and who could speak to their concerns and aspirations. Sure, the two men may not be the best of pals at [this](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/11/donald-trump-ron-desantis-truth-social-meltdown) [particular](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/11/ron-desantis-donald-trump-scoreboard) [moment](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/02/donald-trump-ron-desantis-high-school-girls), but it wasn’t that long ago that DeSantis was proudly dressing one of his kids up [in a MAGA onesie](https://twitter.com/patriottakes/status/1591837252899962881) and teaching the other to say “make America great again.” And in his new [memoir](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/11/ron-desantis-the-courage-to-be-free-memoir), out this week, the governor of Florida is apparently happy to remind people just how much he once loved—loves?—Trump. Don’t forget the way he once glowingly spoke of the guy. Then he links Trump to Republican hero Ronald Reagan, and claims the seeds of Trump’s presidency were planted back int the ’80s. “Some DC commentators have opined that Donald Trump’s nomination represented a hostile takeover of the Republican Party. [reports](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/22/ron-desantis-book-the-courage-to-be-free-donald-trump) that in The Courage to Be Free, DeSantis offers no shortage of praise for one of the worst presidents in modern history. In addition to the [bigotry](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/01/ron-desantis-targets-african-american-studies-trans-students-health-care), [bullying](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/02/college-board-ron-desantis-florida-ap-african-american-studies), and [antidemocratic](http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/02/ron-desantis-defamation-legislation) [tendencies](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/02/ron-desantis-new-college-florida), one of those reasons would be his longtime support for Donald Trump. Starting at the very beginning and laying it on extra thick, DeSantis writes: “If someone had asked me, as a kid growing up in the ’80s and ’90s, to name someone who was rich, I—and probably nearly all my friends—would have responded by naming Donald Trump.” It was because of his celebrity status, the governor suggests, that the Queens-born real estate developer was a welcome addition to the 2016 presidential election.

Move comes after Florida governor lashed out at theme park's protest of law restricting sexual orientation discussion in schools.

The feud also reinforced the governor’s brash leadership style, and the coming months will be critical to DeSantis as he builds his profile out beyond Florida. Another person who identified himself as a longtime Disney theme park employee took issue with the company’s policies regarding vaccinations. DeSantis moved quickly to penalize the company, directing lawmakers in the GOP-dominated legislature to [dissolve Disney’s self-governing district](https://apnews.com/article/business-travel-florida-orlando-ron-desantis-5bbb7bd13c5357877f999aab96b33651) during a special legislative session, beginning a closely watched restructuring process. [viewed the bill as retaliation](https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/florida-governor-assumes-control-over-disney-district-board-2023-02-10/) for Disney’s views. “The corporate kingdom finally comes to an end,” DeSantis said during a press event at Lake Buena Vista near Orlando. “We have a situation here that was basically indefensible from a policy perspective,” DeSantis said.

The Florida governor isn't running for the Republican Party's 2024 presidential nomination - yet.

Mr Trump has lobbed a bevy of attacks against the Florida governor in recent weeks, deriding him with nicknames and accusing him of being a globalist, of supporting an endless war in Ukraine, and of being too quick to shut down the state during the Covid-19 pandemic. "CPAC is TPAC - it is a Trump rally. And he is staying away from the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) near Washington DC later this week, where he would have shared a stage with his rival. Instead, it sets up a clear divide - Trump's camp and DeSantis's camp." [the governor signed a law curtailing the ability of Disney](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64792926), which operates a theme park in central Florida, to run the local government and infrastructure services around its property. He's hit the road to promote the kind of political memoir typically released by prospective White House candidates. And his aspirationally titled new memoir - The Courage to Be Free - will hit the stands on Tuesday, for which he has a full slate of promotional media appearances scheduled. According to Florida-based conservative columnist Myra Adams, the answer is straightforward. "He just got re-elected, and having six months of breathing room makes sense. "Announcing now wouldn't be a good idea," she says. By this time four years ago, there were 11 Democratic candidates vying for their party's nomination, including future (for a time) front-runners Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. He has upcoming party fundraising events scheduled for Alabama, California and Texas.

A Fox News poll found Trump with a double-digit lead over DeSantis among Republican voters in a hypothetical 2024 GOP primary.

He has also claimed Fox has slumped in the ratings recently, though the network has been the [highest-watched](https://www.forbes.com/sites/markjoyella/2022/12/15/the-five-leads-fox-news-to-big-win-in-2022-cable-news-ratings-as-cnn-msnbc-have-worst-years-ever/?sh=7e7a5cfd42c0) cable network for seven straight years, according to data from Nielsen Media Research. [ $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit](https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/02/17/mind-blowingly-nuts-fox-news-hosts-and-execs-repeatedly-denounced-2020-election-fraud-off-air-here-are-their-most-scathing-comments/?sh=7caf672c18f3) brought against Fox News by Dominion Voting Systems will go to trial. [Morning Consult poll](https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/02/13/desantis-is-more-popular-than-trump-among-these-key-groups-ahead-of-2024-poll-finds/?sh=4434e506144d) released earlier this month found Trump would lose to President Joe Biden by three percentage points in a hypothetical 2024 election, although DeSantis and Biden were tied in a head-to-head matchup. Trump [also criticized the network](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/109903637814404437) after it covered a DeSantis speech last week on the same day as a campaign event Trump held in Florida, which he claimed was much larger. Trump slammed Fox’s polling team in October 2019 after a poll found that 51% of voters supported his impeachment and removal from office, [DeSantis Is More Popular Than Trump Among These Key Groups Ahead Of 2024, Poll Finds](https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/02/13/desantis-is-more-popular-than-trump-among-these-key-groups-ahead-of-2024-poll-finds/?sh=4434e506144d) (Forbes) [Trump Castigates Ron DeSantis—And Fox News—As Conservative Outlets Blame Him For Midterm Results](https://news.yahoo.com/trump-amplifies-unfounded-claim-ron-134423904.html) (Forbes) [DeSantis Surges Over Trump Among GOP By Double-Digit Margins, Poll Finds](https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2022/12/13/desantis-surges-over-trump-among-gop-by-double-digit-margins-poll-finds/?sh=2664eee4303b) (Forbes) Former President Donald Trump renewed his attacks on both Fox News and Florida Gov. A Some 28% of respondents said they would support DeSantis, while 7% said they favor former South Carolina Gov. Another 7% said they would support former Vice President Mike Pence, with 2% supporting Texas Gov. That’s the percentage of Republican primary voters surveyed in the Fox News poll between February 19 and February 22 that said they would vote for Trump in next year’s primaries. FAKE NEWS!”

The former president is taking out his paranoia about a potential primary challenge from the Florida governor on the network.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned people to "buckle up" as he signed a bill giving the state control over Disney's sprawling Orlando theme parks.

But during a news conference on Monday, Mr DeSantis hinted he was still a fan of the Mouse. but when you lose your way, you've got to have people who can tell you the truth." "There's a new sheriff in town and accountability will be the order of the day."

DeSantis and Abbott often appear to be locked in an unspoken ideological arms race as they take turns leading and then following one another, ...

He said in the recent interview with the Tribune that Texas has been a “national leader” in restricting abortion and expanding gun rights, implicitly contrasting with the Sunshine State. He is seeking a permitless carry law and potentially a bill to ban abortion as early as six weeks, similar to Texas’ “heartbeat bill.” The letter came about a week after DeSantis [announced a plan](https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-florida-state-government-race-and-ethnicity-b1d847ddc5e1f136b17f254f71fd15dc) to block DEI programs at Florida state colleges. [mission](/about): creating a more engaged and informed Texas with every story we cover, every event we convene and every newsletter we send. [declared on Twitter](https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1614686215676084226) that he would sign a Senate bill to ban certain foreign entities and citizens from buying land in Texas, a proposal in which he had not previously shown much interest. An Abbott spokesperson said the governor’s office had talked to DeSantis’ about “supporting our busing strategy” but added that Texas was “not involved” in the Martha’s Vineyard flights. DeSantis addressed Abbott casually — “Thank you, Greg” — and praised his efforts to secure the border under then-new President Joe Biden. DeSantis will make his most anticipated trip to Texas yet this weekend, when he is set to visit Houston and Dallas to headline annual fundraising dinners for the county GOPs in each city. “Abbott's posture in the culture war is much more akin to the old guard establishment wing of the GOP,” Macias said. On paper, Abbott and DeSantis have a lot in common. DeSantis and Abbott often appear to be locked in an unspoken ideological arms race, seemingly competing for the title of the nation’s most conservative governor, as they take turns leading and then following one another, enacting policies and backing bills that push both states further to the right. That’s despite a number of similarities in the priorities and policies pushed by the two governors in recent years.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' new book, "The Courage to Be Free," leans into the culture wars that established him as one of the early Republican favorites for ...

He brought to the job, he writes, “an understanding of how a constitutional form of government operates, the various pressure points that exist, and the best way to leverage authority to achieve substantial policy victories.” “Keeping Florida free” from Covid-19 restrictions has earned DeSantis criticism from Democrats and health experts – a badge he proudly wears. “When I announced Florida’s back to school policy, perhaps because I did so during the height of the summer COVID-19 wave, there was substantial public opposition to my decision,” DeSantis says. I wanted to be sure that I was using every lever available to advance our priorities,” he writes. DeSantis’ latest book is a defense of his most contentious executive actions, achieved by consolidating power and flexing executive authority, in ways that suggest he has undergone an evolution of his previous principles. “Unfortunately, the sad upshot of these changes is that corporate America has become a major protagonist in battles over American politics and culture. DeSantis argues, “In this environment, old-guard corporate Republicanism is not up to the task at hand.” He omitted, though, that Trump had tweeted a more forceful “full endorsement” of DeSantis just two months before the primary. Trump has claimed DeSantis “begged” for a gubernatorial endorsement in the Republican gubernatorial primary – shed tears even. His relationship with Florida’s largest employer broke down last year as outrage intensified over a Florida bill to limit the instruction of sexual orientation and gender identity. Though he doesn’t blame Trump explicitly, when juxtaposed against his own record compelling Republican lawmakers in his state to act repeatedly in service of his agenda, the implication seems clear. “The Florida Blueprint is a simple formula: be willing to lead, have the courage of your convictions, deliver for your constituents, and reap the political rewards.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Monday to end a special tax district encompassing Walt Disney World, dealing another blow to the company's ...

In 2021, [the governor's staff reportedly worked with Disney to give it an exemption](https://www.businessinsider.com/florida-censorship-law-loophole-for-theme-park-operators-2021-5) from a law designed to crack down on big tech companies. [In press materials released with the bill](https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Dissolving-the-Corporate-Kingdom.pdf) signing, DeSantis' office said the bill would also end some of Disney's other special privileges, such as exemption from state regulatory reviews. DeSantis' previous pledge to strip Disney of its special tax status sparked fears that local taxpayers would be left on the hook, which would, in turn, spark a "There's a new sheriff in town, and accountability will be the order of the day." Disney World closed Splash Mountain, for example, The zone sits on nearly 25,000 acres, sandwiched between Orange and Osceola counties. The move deals a major blow to the company's ability to operate with autonomy. [mandating its workers show proof of vaccination](https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/08/24/1030780696/disney-unions-vaccination-agreement-florida) and its theme park guests [continue to wear face coverings.](https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2022/02/16/1081331346/disney-parks-masks-optional-vaccinated-visitors) Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Monday to take control of municipal services and development for the special zone encompassing Walt Disney World. [donated to DeSantis during the 2020 election cycle](https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2019/07/10/ron-desantis-pac-raised-13-million-last-quarter-from-disney-the-villages/). [whose private investment firm regularly donates to Republican candidates](https://www.opensecrets.org/search?order=desc&q=Pinehill+Capital+&sort=D&type=donors), Michael Sasso, [a local elections lawyer](https://www.flgov.com/2023/02/27/governor-ron-desantis-appoints-five-to-the-central-florida-tourism-oversight-district/), and Bridget Ziegler, a [conservative school board member](https://www.npr.org/2022/09/04/1120952648/florida-gov-desantis-leads-a-nationwide-shift-to-politicizing-school-board-races) and wife of the Florida Republican Party chairman. [Disney "crossed the line"](https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/29/desantis-disney-dont-say-gay-repeal-00021389) by [opposing an education bill that restricts classroom discussion around gender identity and sexual orientation](https://www.npr.org/2022/03/08/1085130633/disney-response-florida-bill-dont-say-gay).

Got My Mind Set On You— It's no big secret that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is a fan of current Gov. Ron DeSantis. He wrote about DeSantis for Time Magazine.

[Miami commissioner’s office ransacked in apparent City Hall break-in](https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article272614862.html),” by Miami Herald’s Joey Flechas and Sam Navarro: “Miami police are investigating a possible break-in at City Hall after Commissioner Manolo Reyes’ office was found ransacked Monday morning. Ron DeSantis, including forbidding schools from offering majors — or even minors — in critical race theory and gender studies. — Gov. [Trump targets Fox News for ‘promoting’ DeSantis ‘so hard and so much](https://thehill.com/homenews/media/3875729-trump-targets-fox-news-for-promoting-desantis-so-hard-and-so-much/),’” by The Hill’s Dominick Mastrangelo: “Former President Trump renewed his attacks on Fox News this week, accusing the network of underplaying a new poll showing him with a double-digit lead on Florida Gov. [The ‘Always Trump’ voters are the defining feature of a crowded Republican primary](https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/28/trump-voters-republican-primary-00084652), by POLITICO’s David Siders and Meridith McGraw: Indeed, the “Always Trump” component of the party is so pronounced that it’s affecting how Trump’s opponents operate around him. [Meet the Trump-loving yacht lawyer who helped engineer DeSantis’ New College takeover](https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/sarasota/2023/02/27/trump-ron-desantis-robert-allen-led-new-college-makeover/69942836007/),” by Sarasota Herald-Tribune’s Zac Anderson: “According to statements [Robert] Allen has made to multiple alumni, shaking up New College’s board wasn’t on [Gov. — WHERE'S RON? Ron DeSantis’ new book, “The Courage to Be Free,” leans into the culture wars that established him as one of the early Republican favorites for the GOP nomination for the presidency. She is also a DeSantis-endorsed Sarasota County School Board member and co-founder of “Mom’s for Liberty,” a group that helps train and recruit conservatives to run for school boards. Timing — The events are set to take place at the exact same time — Thursday through Saturday. Think For Yourself— But in an email to Playbook, Bush stated that “I was praising, not endorsing.” In that same email, he did not answer a question on who he wanted to see become the Republican nominee. Trump of course crushed Bush in the 2016 Republican primary for president.

DeSantis furthers his reputation as a culture warrior willing to battle perceived political enemies and wield the power of state government to accomplish ...

The futuristic city never materialized and instead morphed into a second theme park that opened in 1982. Republican critics of the district argue it gives Disney a commercial advantage unavailable to others. The company had told the state it planned to build a futuristic city that would include a transit system and urban planning innovations, so the company needed autonomy in building and deciding how to use the land. It leaves the district and its financial abilities and debt obligations intact, addressing a chief concern of surrounding governments. DeSantis and other Republican critics of Disney slammed the company for coming out against the education law, calling it a purveyor of “woke” ideology that inject inappropriate subjects into children’s entertainment. “Today the corporate kingdom finally comes to an end,” he said at a bill signing ceremony in Lake Buena Vista.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appointed a five-member board to take over Disney World's municipal services, ending the 55-year-old self-governing special ...

With the signing of the bill on Monday, DeSantis was authorized to appoint five supervisors to oversee traditional municipal services in the region where Disney World operates, including fire protection, public utilities, waste collection and road maintenance. Disney World employs close to 75,000 workers and drew 36.2 million visitors in 2021, according to the Themed Entertainment Association. [Disney](https://globalnews.ca/tag/disney) World in Orlando has enjoyed a high degree of autonomy in deciding how to use the land in and around the famed amusement park. DeSantis and state Republicans hit back, accusing the company of inappropriately injecting “woke” ideology into their movies and TV shows. “Today the corporate kingdom finally comes to an end,” DeSantis said at a bill signing ceremony in Lake Buena Vista. In addition to being a self-governing district, Reedy Creek was also a special tax zone.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned people to "buckle up" as he signed a bill giving the state control over Disney's sprawling Orlando theme parks.

But during a news conference on Monday, Mr DeSantis hinted he was still a fan of the Mouse. but when you lose your way, you've got to have people who can tell you the truth." "There's a new sheriff in town and accountability will be the order of the day."

DeSantis dealt another blow to Walt Disney World's autonomy by signing a bill on Monday to take control of the company's development board.

In 2021, [the governor's staff reportedly worked with Disney to give it an exemption](https://www.businessinsider.com/florida-censorship-law-loophole-for-theme-park-operators-2021-5) from a law designed to crack down on big tech companies. [In press materials released with the bill](https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Dissolving-the-Corporate-Kingdom.pdf) signing, DeSantis' office said the bill would also end some of Disney's other special privileges, such as exemption from state regulatory reviews. DeSantis' previous pledge to strip Disney of its special tax status sparked fears that local taxpayers would be left on the hook, which would, in turn, spark a Disney World closed Splash Mountain, for example, "There's a new sheriff in town, and accountability will be the order of the day." The zone sites on nearly 25,000 acres, sandwiched between Orange and Osceola counties. The move deals a major blow to the company's ability to operate with autonomy. [mandating its workers show proof of vaccination](https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/08/24/1030780696/disney-unions-vaccination-agreement-florida) and its theme park guests [continue to wear face coverings.](https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2022/02/16/1081331346/disney-parks-masks-optional-vaccinated-visitors) Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Monday to take control of municipal services and development for the special zone encompassing Walt Disney World. [donated to DeSantis during the 2020 election cycle](https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2019/07/10/ron-desantis-pac-raised-13-million-last-quarter-from-disney-the-villages/). [a local elections lawyer](https://www.flgov.com/2023/02/27/governor-ron-desantis-appoints-five-to-the-central-florida-tourism-oversight-district/), and Bridget Ziegler, a [conservative school board member](https://www.npr.org/2022/09/04/1120952648/florida-gov-desantis-leads-a-nationwide-shift-to-politicizing-school-board-races) and wife of the Florida Republican Party chairman. [Disney "crossed the line"](https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/29/desantis-disney-dont-say-gay-repeal-00021389) by [opposing an education bill that restricts classroom discussion around gender identity and sexual orientation](https://www.npr.org/2022/03/08/1085130633/disney-response-florida-bill-dont-say-gay).

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Monday to take control of municipal services and development for the special zone encompassing Walt Disney World. The ...

In 2021, [the governor's staff reportedly worked with Disney to give it an exemption](https://www.businessinsider.com/florida-censorship-law-loophole-for-theme-park-operators-2021-5) from a law designed to crack down on big tech companies. [In press materials released with the bill](https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Dissolving-the-Corporate-Kingdom.pdf) signing, DeSantis' office said the bill would also end some of Disney's other special privileges, such as exemption from state regulatory reviews. Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. DeSantis' previous pledge to strip Disney of its special tax status sparked fears that local taxpayers would be left on the hook, which would, in turn, spark a As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years. "There's a new sheriff in town, and accountability will be the order of the day." The zone sits on nearly 25,000 acres, sandwiched between Orange and Osceola counties. Disney World closed Splash Mountain, for example, The move deals a major blow to the company's ability to operate with autonomy. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Monday to take control of municipal services and development for the special zone encompassing Walt Disney World. [a local elections lawyer](https://www.flgov.com/2023/02/27/governor-ron-desantis-appoints-five-to-the-central-florida-tourism-oversight-district/), and Bridget Ziegler, a [conservative school board member](https://www.npr.org/2022/09/04/1120952648/florida-gov-desantis-leads-a-nationwide-shift-to-politicizing-school-board-races) and wife of the Florida Republican Party chairman. [Disney "crossed the line"](https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/29/desantis-disney-dont-say-gay-repeal-00021389) by [opposing an education bill that restricts classroom discussion around gender identity and sexual orientation](https://www.npr.org/2022/03/08/1085130633/disney-response-florida-bill-dont-say-gay).