DeSantis, with his eyes fixed on attracting Donald Trump’s base, has positioned himself as an extreme culture warrior. In a counterattack, an attorney for a pro-DeSantis board of district supervisors said Disney’s efforts were “riddled with procedural impropriety and illegality” and “the restrictive covenants will not withstand any judicial scrutiny”.īut at the heart of the DeSantis v Disney dispute is something much bigger than both of them: the reignited and intensifying culture wars in America. That came after DeSantis signed legislation cancelling Disney’s control of a special tax district, known as the Reedy Creek improvement district, within which Disney World sits, that allowed it to maintain its own police and fire departments, planning powers and some other public functions.Īs part of Disney’s efforts to retain control, it cited a document passed by the outgoing Disney-sympathetic Reedy Creek board stating that its privileges will stand 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”.ĭisney said it had cited “royal clauses” to skirt rules banning legal covenants that last in perpetuity, and because the Windsor’s family tree was readily available, and because of “better healthcare available to, and longer life expectancy of, a royal family member compared to a non-royal”.

DeSantis said he would try to change state law to open Disney World – the state’s largest employer – up to new inspections and threatened to build a prison next to the 43 sq mile family-friendly theme park.

Behemoth westerfeld