FL Senate Passes Bill Dissolving Disney's Reedy Creek District

ORLANDO, FL — The Florida Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would repeal a law allowing The Walt Disney Co. to operate its Walt Disney World properties independently under the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

The Senate passed Senate Bill 4C 23-16 a day after Gov. Ron DeSantis added the item to the special session agenda Tuesday. The bill now moves to the House.

The Disney vs. DeSantis showdown is over the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill, which goes into effect July 1.

DeSantis has been embroiled in a battle with Disney World over the passage of House Bill 1557 last month. The bill would prohibit or restrict classroom instructors for kindergarten through third grade from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity "in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards."

Critics say the Parental Rights in Education bill is an attempt to ban LGBTQ topics and force teachers and students to conceal their sexuality. Activists say it sets a dangerous precedent.

Following the signing of the law by DeSantis last month, Disney World issued a statement condemning the legislation.

"Florida's HB 1557, also known as the 'Don't Say Gay' bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law," said Disney World in a statement to Patch. "Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the Legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that. We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country."

DeSantis' response to Disney's statement was to flex the state's muscles by suggesting Florida take away Disney World's status as an independent taxing district.

If signed into law, Senate Bill 4C would dismantle the Reedy Creek Improvement District, as well as other independent special districts throughout the state.

Under the law, any independent special district established by a special act prior to the Florida Constitution's ratification in 1968 would be dissolved on June 1, 2023. Districts could apply for reinstatement after that date.

The law would affect the following special districts:

• Hamilton County Development Authority, Hamilton County
• East Point Water and Sewer District, Franklin County
• Bradford County Development Authority, Bradford County
• Marion County Law Library District, Marion County
• Reedy Creek Improvement District, Orange and Osceola counties
• Sunshine Drainage District, Broward County

Reedy Creek Improvement District, created in 1967 by a special act of the Florida Legislature and governed by its own charter, oversees economic development and tourism within Disney's 25,000 acres in Orange and Osceola counties.

If the district was dissolved under Senate Bill 4C, Disney World would be subject to the state and county laws of any other developer and would lose the authority to make its own decisions regarding architectural standards, expansion plans, fire protection, waste collection and water treatment facilities. The park system also would lose tax exemptions that could cost the company millions.

Senate Minority Leader Gary Farmer (D-Fort Lauderdale) said Tuesday night the bill as written would put taxpayers in Osceola and Orange counties on the hook for a nearly $1 billion bond debt Reedy Creek Improvement District currently carries, according to multiple reports.

An amendment proposed by Farmer on Tuesday to commission a study on the economic impact of the bill instead of dissolving the districts failed to gain passage.