Texas Judge Tells Disney to Relocate — And It Might Actually Happen for This Very Good Reason
Re-locating was unlikely years ago, but now it might be the best move.
Major changes could be coming to Disney World. We know change is hard, and die-hard Disney fans probably don’t want to see too much change. But after a Texas judge suggested Disney relocate its Walt Disney World resort, it might happen – and it could be a good thing. Here’s what you need to know.
On Friday, Governor Republican Ron DeSantis signed a bill dissolving the Reedy Creek Improvement District. It’s essentially a special legal zone that allows Disney to operate as an independent government around its theme parks. The special legal zone has been in place for 55 years and the special purpose district provides a cut through legal red tape for taxes. In place, Disney took over responsibility for certain municipal services like fire protection, roads, water, and electricity.
DeSantis signed a bill to dissolve the special privileges of Disney after CEO Bob Chapek, openly opposed the Parental Rights in Education Bill – aka the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. In response to the bill, Disney announced it would no longer give political donations in Florida. And may say the dissolution of the Reedy Creek Improvement District is retaliation for its public opposition to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
Now, a Texas judge has suggested Disney relocate. Fort Bend County Judge, KP George, the chief executive officer of Fort Bend County, Texas, wrote a letter addressed to CEO Chapek inviting Disney to relocate and avoid “authoritarian, anti-business, and culture war attacks from extremists in Florida.”
In the letter, the judge makes a good case for why his district would be a good place to entertain a move to, calling his area a “unique place” where the families and residents “compose the most diverse county in the United States, deliver extremely high graduation rates and are one of the top capita purchasers in Texas.”
He continued, “With a strong focus on economic development, we encourage small and large business growth through a business-friendly climate; we make a difference in our children’s lives everyday through youth empowerment initiatives and aim to continue improving the quality of life through new, fresh and innovative ideas.”
If you had asked two years ago if we ever thought Disney World would up and move to a new state, it would be the furthest thing from possible. However, there is a possibility for that now, and if doing so is a bigger stand for the LGBTQIA+ community who is under attack with DeSantis’s new bill, it’s plenty of reason to move.
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