Florida to start meeting on Disneyland and Migrant Flights

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (AP) — Florida lawmakers will meet Monday to finalize the state takeover of Walt Disney World and expand the migrant resettlement program, a key conservative priority for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis ahead of his expected White House run.

House Republican leaders, in agreement with DeSantis, ordered the Legislature to call a special session to restructure the Reedy Creek Improvement District, as the Disney government is known.

Lawmakers will also consider a proposal to create a state department to deal with migrant resettlement, which came after the governor sent a group of South American migrants from Texas to Massachusetts to protest federal border policy.

The session continues DeSantis’ focus on social issues, including sexual orientation, gender and immigration, as the Republican governor exploits national political divisions on his way to a potential 2024 presidential race.

The meeting is the latest development in a high-profile feud between DeSantis and Disney over the company’s criticism of a law criticized as “Don’t Say Gay” that bans teaching sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade and the lessons are considered age inappropriate.

The governor, in pursuing Disney, has shown a willingness to punish one of the state’s largest employers and political donors by reinforcing the combative leadership style that propelled him to national political stardom and appealed to conservative voters in the primary.

Legislators are expected to create a program to transport immigrants who are in the country illegally to another state if they have already been processed by the federal government and if the migrants are voluntary.

DeSantis has already used part of a $12 million fund paid out by taxpayers to transport about 50 South American migrants from Texas to the resort island of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, to widespread condemnation.

Another proposal to be considered at the meeting would make it clear that the state’s attorney has the authority to prosecute election fraud in federal elections and statewide races.

DeSantis, with the backing of the House of Representatives, last year created a division of the Electoral Police to investigate fraud and other crimes to address an issue that has become a major concern for conservative voters since the 2020 election. Some charges stemming from investigations by the electoral police were dropped due to jurisdictional issues.

The spat between DeSantis and Disney began last year when the entertainment giant publicly opposed the “Don’t Say Gay” education law and said it would suspend political donations in the state and support organizations opposed to the law.

DeSantis and other Republicans were quick to criticize the company, calling it a “wake-up” ideology that was unsuitable for children.

At the request of DeSantis, in April, the GOP-dominated state government approved legislation to abolish the government of Disney’s Reedy Creek by June 2023, initiating a carefully controlled process that was supposed to define the structure of the government that controls the company’s vast property.

The creation of the Reedy Creek neighborhood was instrumental in Disney’s decision to build a house near Orlando in the 1960s. Having a separate government allows the company to provide zoning, fire protection, utilities and infrastructure services on its land.

The special session will also amend the language in existing laws regarding college athlete endorsement agreements.

Florida was one of the first states to pass a law allowing college athletes to profit from their name, image, or likeness, but it does not allow people associated with universities to enter into endorsement agreements. The proposal would remove this provision to make Florida more competitive with other states that have no restrictions.

Lawmakers will also consider a bill to allocate additional funds for recovery from hurricanes Iain and Nicole.

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