Politicians Claim DeSantis Hurt Florida In the Disney Battle

We have another news update on the DeSantis vs. Disney legal front for you. High-profile former politicians have officially made a filing in the federal lawsuit.

DeSantis vs. Disney

By now most people are aware of the ongoing legal turmoil brewing between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Shortly after Disney’s former CEO spoke out against HB 1557, the Parental Rights in Education Bill, the Governor signed Senate Bill 4-C into Law, which effectively dissolved the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID), the special tax district that governed Disney. DeSantis appointed the Central Florida Tourism Oversite District (CFTOD) in its place. This all led to two lawsuits.

If you need to catch up on what is going on, here is some reading material for you. Disney sued DeSantis in federal court with claims that DeSantis is punishing the Walt Disney Company for practicing free speech. You can get up to speed on the federal case HERE.

Meanwhile, the CFOTD has also sued Disney in a state case after the RCID transferred its power to Disney prior to the CFOTD takeover (a move that DeSantis has since passed legislation to invalidate). You can see the judge’s latest decision in that case HERE.

Former Government Officials Step In

However, for those who are already up to speed, let’s get down to business. (If you just sang that last phrase, you are amazing.)

On Wednesday, August 2, 2023, a group of former government officials filed a brief of Amici Curiae. This type of filing is also known as a “friend of the court” brief. Such filings happen when an individual or organization who is not a party to a case, assists with providing information, expertise, or insight pertinent to the case. The Amicus Brief urges the judge to deny DeSantis’ motion to dismiss the case.

In the brief, this group defines itself as a “bipartisan group of former governors, legislators, senior government attorneys, and other officials.” Their concerns are both for free speech and for the harm that is being done to the state of Florida.

Potential Damage to Florida

Indeed, this brief supports the stance that DeSantis has infringed on Disney’s 1st Amendment Rights. It states, “The path the Governor has chosen is corrosive to the form of democracy envisioned by the Constitution.”

Moreover, according to the brief, members of the Amici represent varying backgrounds and ideologies. However, “all agree on one thing of central importance to this litigation: Governor DeSantis’s and the Florida Legislature’s decision to single out Plaintiff for retribution, based on its comments on an issue of public concern, is anathema to the First Amendment and severely damaging to the political, social, and economic fabric of the State.”

Essentially, the group is concerned that DeSantis’ actions result in economic harm to Florida. The brief goes on to state that Governor DeSantis “has signaled to the marketplace that it cannot expect the certainty and predictability it requires to safely and profitably do business in the State of Florida.”

The fear the brief outlines is that companies will not conduct business in Florida since they could face “the risk of economic retaliation from the Governor if it publicly opposes his political positions.“ It references the fact that Florida already lost some measure of potential economic growth. This happened when Disney canceled plans to bring a $1 billion project to the state.

Now, it is up to the court to take the brief into consideration. Will the judge hear the case? We will keep you updated here at kennythepirate.com.

Do you agree with the former government officials that DeSantis has harmed Florida? Let us know in the comments. As always, feel free to pass the story along!

Source: Disney v. DeSantis – Former Gov’t Officials Amicus FINAL