Florida lawmakers are uncertain if they can override an agreement Disney made with the former Reedy Creek Improvement District board that undermines the power of the new governor-appointed board.
Members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Board said they were seeking legal action and Gov. Ron DeSantis vowed that "there's more to come," but GOP state lawmakers are less certain of the agreement being nullified.
DISNEY'S 'KING CHARLES CLAUSE' GIVES DESANTIS AND HIS NEW GOVERNING BOARD A BLACK EYE
“In terms of legislatively, I don’t know, but I’m fully supportive of the governor taking action," state House Speaker Paul Renner (R) said to reporters Friday, per Florida Politics. "I think what’s happened is disingenuous to say the least. The way it happened is frankly a lack of candor in terms of how they noticed it and how they went about it. I think they acted in bad faith, I think that’s pretty simple."
Other Republican lawmakers, including state Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, say a remedy from the state legislature could be far off due to the busy legislative session.
“I think we’re going to take a look at it, I’m sure, and then I think to see what they actually did. It’s too early to do anything right now and we’ve got a lot on our plate for the rest of this session, so I don’t anticipate doing anything in the near term,” Passidomo said Thursday.
The agreement Disney made with the previous board essentially strips the new board of nearly all of its oversight power by not permitting the board to make most changes without permission from the Walt Disney Company. The agreement was made on Feb. 8, the same day the state House voted for the bill to restructure the district encompassing the Walt Disney World Resort, by making the board appointed by the governor.
The "King Charles clause," as it has been dubbed by some, ensures Disney has autonomy over its Magic Kingdom until "21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III, King of England, living as of the date of this declaration."
DeSantis had celebrated the state takeover of the board as a victory over the "House of Mouse," but the agreement gave DeSantis and the new board a black eye. Both entities are vowing to fight for a "happily ever after."
On Wednesday, the DeSantis-appointed board announced it would be bringing in four outside law firms to void the agreement made under the previous board, while on Thursday Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody made a public records request to the Disney-appointed board members of the former Reedy Creek Improvement District.
In the letter, she demands texts, emails, and other public records regarding "documents discussing an intention or goal of circumventing, avoiding, frustrating, mitigating, or otherwise attempting to avoid the effects of anticipated actions of the Florida Governor and Legislature." The letter warns there is a potential for civil and criminal penalties if records are not properly turned over.
Disney has defended its actions with the district, saying all agreements with the former board were done lawfully.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
"All agreements signed between Disney and the District were appropriate, and were discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums in compliance with Florida's Government in the Sunshine law," Disney said in a statement to the Washington Examiner last week.
The battle between the governor and the company, which led to Disney's Central Florida district being restructured, began after the company came out strongly against the state's Parental Rights in Education bill in March 2022. Disney had maintained autonomy over the district since its creation in 1967.