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☆ DeSantis wants an Obama-appointed judge disqualified from Disney's free speech lawsuit over past remarks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ron DeSantis says judge in free speech lawsuit involving Disney should be thrown out. The lawsuit alleges DeSantis violated Disney's right to free speech by retaliating for its criticism of the "Don't Say Gay" bill. DeSantis is asking that a federal judge be disqualified from the First Amendment lawsuit filed by Disney against the Florida governor. DeSantis ′ attorney filed a motion in federal court in Tallahassee on Friday seeking to disqualify U.S. District Judge Mark Walker from overseeing the lawsuit filed by Disney last month. Disney filed the First Amendment lawsuit against DeSantis and the Disney-appointed board last month in federal court in Tallahassee, and it landed in Walker's court.

☆ Hundreds of Disney employees had already relocated from California to Florida before the company axed its $1 billion dollar campus in escalating feud with DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Disney scrapped plans to open up a new $1 billion campus in Florida on Thursday. According to the New York Times, hundreds of Disney employees had relocated to Florida already. Disney announced the plans to scrap the $1 billion complex in an internal email on Thursday, a week before DeSantis was expected to announce a presidential run. According to the New York Times, at least 1,000 employees were set to be relocated to the campus, named Lake Nona Town Center. Disney World currently employs 75,000 people in the state, and the new campus would have brought another 2,000 jobs to Florida.

☆ Disney kills $1 billion development in Florida just days before DeSantis' expected presidential announcement
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Disney canceled its plans to move jobs from California to Florida. The announcement came just days before DeSantis is expected to formally run for president. "Ron DeSanctimonious gets caught in the mouse trap," the Trump campaign tweeted Thursday. Gavin Newsom of California, who'd urged Disney not to relocate workers from his state to Florida, tweeted. Hundreds of Disney workers who already relocated to Florida will have the option to move back, per the Wall Street Journal.

☆ Florida passes bill to prevent billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos being sued if their mega-rockets kill or injure people
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Florida passed a bill protecting space companies in case of injury or death of a crew member. The bill comes as more billionaires are trying to make commercial space flight a reality. Passengers will have to sign a waiver stating they understand the risks of spaceflight before boarding a spaceship, the bill states. Jeff Sharkey, a lobbyist representing SpaceX, also stood in support of the bill at a March 26 hearing, per Florida Politics. Still, the bill doesn't abrogate space companies from all responsibility.

May 17 (Reuters) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday signed into law a bill that bans gender-affirming medical care such as puberty blockers or hormone therapy for transgender youth, and also enacts obstacles for adults to access treatment. Taking effect in the third most populous U.S. state, the law escalates a Republican political strategy to pursue bills restricting transgender rights. In addition, the new Florida law, which takes effect immediately, grants Florida courts jurisdiction in child custody battles over transgender kids when a Florida parent opposes treatment that is being pursued under an out-of-state parent. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) criticized the bill after it passed the legislature, opposing government interference into the doctor-patient relationship. This ban threatens health care providers with criminal penalties simply for doing their jobs, and will make it even harder for transgender and gender diverse people to obtain essential health care," Marci Bowers, the association's president, said in a statement.

☆ Disney Argues New Florida Law Nullifies DeSantis-Backed Suit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Brooks Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Florida legislation that was designed to hamstring Disney could end up helping the company, at least in relation to a lawsuit in state court over development at Walt Disney World near Orlando. Ron DeSantis and Disney have been sparring for more than a year over a special tax district that encompasses Disney World. The fight started when the company criticized a Florida education law labeled by opponents as “Don’t Say Gay” — angering Mr. DeSantis. A few days later, the Florida Legislature, at the request of Mr. DeSantis, passed a bill that prohibited the district from complying with the contracts. Mr. DeSantis signed it into law on May 5.

☆ A Florida teacher says the state is investigating her for showing students the Disney movie 'Strange World,' which features an LGBTQ character
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A teacher in Florida says she is being investigated for showing her students "Strange World." "Strange World" features Disney's first openly LGBTQ lead character. Released in 2022, "Strange World" follows a family of explorers who travel through various jungles and other "uncharted" land. "Strange World" attracted backlash from conservatives after its release because one of the characters is Disney's first openly LGBTQ lead. Zee indicated in the tweet that his friend, a school teacher, was being investigated after showing their class "Strange World."

☆ DeSantis signs law to cover up records of his travel and visitors ahead of anticipated 2024 presidential run
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

DeSantis signed a bill into law that will hide his travel records from public view. DeSantis signed the bill into law unceremoniously on Thursday afternoon, among more than 35 other bills. The security argument was nonsensical to Ben Wilcox, research director and co-founder of the good government organization Integrity Florida, given that the new law will apply to past travel records. "It strains credulity to suggest that hiding travel records could somehow prevent a security breach in the future," Wilcox told Insider. Another elections related bill is headed for DeSantis that will allow him to maintain his seat as governor while running for president.

☆ Matt Gaetz slams 2 Fox News hosts for over-sexualizing AOC and joking that he might divorce his wife and marry her instead
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Gaetz spoke out against Fox News and accused two of its hosts of over-sexualizing Ocasio-Cortez. Two hosts on "The Five" joked last week about how Gaetz could divorce his wife and marry Ocasio-Cortez. Gaetz also slammed Pirro, saying: "And then Judge Jeanine — Judge Jeanine, who starts out saying I am happily married. Judge Jeanine, who was sitting at my table at Mar-a-Lago the night I proposed to my wife. Representatives for Fox News, Gaetz, and Ocasio-Cortez did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment sent outside regular working hours.

☆ Florida Rejects Dozens of Social Studies Textbooks, and Forces Changes in Others
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Sarah Mervosh | Dana Goldstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Florida has rejected dozens of social studies textbooks and worked with publishers to edit dozens more, the state’s education department announced on Tuesday, in the latest effort under Gov. Ron DeSantis to scrub textbooks of contested topics, especially surrounding contemporary issues of race and social justice. But as part of an extensive effort to revise the materials, Florida worked with publishers to make changes, ultimately approving 66 of the 101 textbooks. Mr. DeSantis, a Republican, has campaigned against what he has described as “woke indoctrination” and a leftist agenda in the classroom. Last year, the state rejected dozens of math textbooks, saying that the books touched on prohibited topics, including critical race theory and social emotional learning, which have become targets of the right.

HOW THE LAWSUITS DIFFERDisney's lawsuit was filed in federal court and alleges that DeSantis violated the company's protections under the U.S. Constitution, including its First Amendment right to free speech. In contrast, the state court lawsuit against Disney focuses on the procedures the old board followed in approving the agreements with Disney. The Florida district is asking the state court to void the Disney agreements. The district could file a motion in federal court to ask Walker to dismiss or pause Disney's federal case while the state court proceeds. Legal doctrines hold that federal judges should refrain from hearing a case where there is a related state court proceeding, particularly when a state court decision could resolve the federal lawsuit.

Florida lawmakers sent DeSantis a bill that would let him stay governor while running for president. "I don't think we have seen a six-month stretch that has ever been this productive in the history of our state," DeSantis said at the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee on Friday. Should DeSantis be successful in a presidential run, he would follow in the footsteps of Democrat Bill Clinton and Republican George W. Bush. Ron DeSantis speaks during an election night watch party at the Convention Center in Tampa, Florida, on November 8, 2022. During a press conference in Panama City, Florida, on Thursday, DeSantis continued to play coy about his intentions.

☆ DeSantis collects wins as Florida Legislature caps whirlwind session, teeing up possible White House bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during a conference titled "Celebrate the Faces of Israel" at Jerusalem's Museum of Tolerance, on April 27, 2023. Measures like the restrictive abortion law DeSantis signed could help him in a GOP primary, but may reduce his appeal in a general election. Lawmakers have also passed multiple measures that could help clear DeSantis' path to the White House, if and when he decides to run. "The entire session was focused on Governor DeSantis' run for president," said Jim Clark, a University of Central Florida senior lecturer and political commentator, in an interview. On top of those issues, DeSantis in March waded into the "school choice" debate by signing a bill expanding Florida's school voucher system.

☆ Analysis: As DeSantis readies 2024 presidential bid, Florida lawmakers hand him fresh ammo
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

WASHINGTON, May 3 (Reuters) - Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had counted on a productive state legislative session this spring to turbocharge his coming 2024 presidential bid. With the first presidential nominating contest still nine months away, political analysts say DeSantis has plenty of time to turn his fortunes around. Lawmakers on Tuesday passed an immigration measure that would provide more money for DeSantis’ program for relocating undocumented migrants. POTENTIAL PERILSThe six-week abortion ban remains the thorniest outcome of the session for DeSantis’ national aspirations. The governor did not expressly advocate for the bill, and he signed it without fanfare to replace the current 15-week ban.

☆ Matt Gaetz says AOC is 'wrong a lot' but 'she's not corrupt' as the pair joined forces to block Congress from trading stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Both congressional lawmakers formed an unlikely team-up on Tuesday to introduce a new bill. "AOC is wrong a lot, she'd probably say the same thing about me, but she's not corrupt," Gaetz told Fox News host Jesse Watters on Tuesday. They and several other congressional leaders warned that congressional trading erodes trust in the government and presents conflicts of interest. Gaetz told Watters on Tuesday that Congress should "disallow congressional stock trading for the same reason we don't allow the referee to bet on the game." Representatives for Gaetz, Ocasio-Cortez, and Frankel did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

☆ Florida board picked by DeSantis countersues Disney
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | Tom Hals | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

(Reuters) - A district board appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to oversee development around Walt Disney Co’s Florida theme parks sued the company on Monday to void “backroom deals” favorable to the entertainment giant. The state court lawsuit escalates tensions between Disney and the Republican governor and likely presidential candidate. It comes in response to a case Disney filed last week in federal district court against DeSantis and members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight district board. DeSantis who is expected to soon declare his candidacy for U.S. president, has repeatedly attacked “woke Disney” in public remarks. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board maintained that Disney rushed through the agreement before the new board assumed oversight of municipal services and development within the 25,000 acres of land in and around Walt Disney World.

☆ Florida board picked by DeSantis to countersue Disney
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) -An oversight board appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday said it would file a countersuit against Walt Disney Co in state court, according to prepared remarks seen by Reuters. Slideshow ( 2 images )The decision, which further escalates tensions between Disney and the state of Florida, comes in response to a lawsuit Disney filed last week in federal district court against DeSantis and members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight district board. The skirmish began last year after Disney criticized a Florida measure banning classroom discussion of sexuality and gender identity with younger children. Florida lawmakers passed legislation that ended Disney’s virtual autonomy in central Florida where the Disney World theme parks attract millions of visitors each year. “The district will seek justice in state court here in central Florida where both it and Disney reside and do business,” Martin said.

☆ Florida Lawmakers Clear a Potential Presidential Roadblock for DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Nicholas Nehamas | Patricia Mazzei | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Although legal opinions varied, it might have compelled Mr. DeSantis, if he became a presidential candidate, to resign as governor in 2025 with two years still left in his term. Democrats countered that Mr. DeSantis was getting special treatment from his legislative buddies. “In November, December and January, Republicans all around the country were looking to DeSantis as the future of the party,” said Alex Conant, a Republican political strategist who worked as communications director for Senator Marco Rubio of Florida during his 2016 presidential campaign. “He was really hot coming off the midterms. But now it’s not so clear that Republican voters are ready to move beyond Trump.”

☆ Florida lawmakers just passed a bill for DeSantis to remain governor while running for president
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Republicans in Florida are changing the law so DeSantis can run for president and keep his job. The Trump campaign accused DeSantis of violating the law, even though he hasn't made a bid official. "If an individual who is Florida governor is running for president, I think he should be allowed to do it," Passidomo told reporters at the time. Hutson disagreed that with the assessment that DeSantis wouldn't be able to both operate as governor and run for president. April 25, 2023: This story has been updated with a comment from the Trump campaign.

☆ DeSantis' tough words may come back to haunt him in Disney lawsuit, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Tom Hals | Thomson Reuters | Tom Hals Is An Award-Winning Reporter With Years Of Experience Working In Asia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Florida Governor and likely 2024 Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis speaks as part of his Florida Blueprint tour in Pinellas Park, Florida, U.S. March 8, 2023. Disney on Wednesday sued DeSantis to prevent the state from ending the company's virtual autonomy in central Florida where it has its theme parks. Disney said DeSantis' actions amounted to a "targeted campaign of government retaliation." Disney claimed in its lawsuit that the state adopted a "targeted campaign of government retaliation — orchestrated at every step by Governor DeSantis as punishment for Disney’s protected speech." DeSantis' tough talk toward Disney is cited throughout the lawsuit, including 18 quotes referring to some form of "woke Disney."

☆ Ron DeSantis: Florida GOP lawmakers clear path for governor to run for president without resigning
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Florida lawmakers gave final passage Friday to a measure that clears a path for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to run for president without resigning from his current job. The legislation approved Friday exempts “any person seeking the office of President or Vice President of the United States” from the resign-to-run law. “I can’t think of a better training ground than the state of Florida for a future commander in chief,” Republican state Rep. Tyler Sirois said. This is not be the first time that Florida lawmakers have voted to amend the resign-to-run law to help clear a path for a governor to reach the White House.

Florida lawmakers passed legislation that ended Disney's virtual autonomy in central Florida where the Disney World theme parks attract millions of visitors each year. "Disney now is forced to defend itself against a State weaponizing its power to inflict political punishment," the company said. DeSantis has argued that Disney, which employs roughly 75,000 people in Florida, had been enjoying unfair advantages for decades. Carlos Curbelo, a former U.S. Republican congressman from Miami, said DeSantis' attacks on Disney "made sense for a time." Florida's new oversight body on Wednesday said Disney's plans for potential expansion of Disney World did not comply with state law, and declared that agreement void.

[1/2] Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at the 2023 NHGOP Amos Tuck Dinner in Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S., April 14, 2023. REUTERS/Brian SnyderApril 26 (Reuters) - In his face-off with Walt Disney Co (DIS.N), Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has frequently adopted the pose of a swaggering gunfighter out of the Wild West. “There’s a new sheriff in town,” DeSantis boasts to conservative audiences nationwide as he prepares to launch his 2024 presidential bid. But as his clash with Disney escalates, so does the political risk for DeSantis and his nascent campaign. Billionaire Ken Griffin of Citadel Securities last year remarked that DeSantis’ actions amounted to “retaliation against corporate America.”“The war with Disney made some sense for a time in the context of Governor DeSantis’ presidential aspirations.

Florida lawmakers passed legislation that ended Disney's virtual autonomy in central Florida where the Disney World theme parks are located and attract millions of visitors each year. In the action filed in federal court in Tallahassee, Disney said it had no choice but to take legal action. DeSantis has argued that Disney, which employs roughly 75,000 people in the Florida, had been operating with unfair advantages for decades. Carlos Curbelo, a former U.S. Republican congressman from Miami, said DeSantis' attacks on Disney "made sense for a time." Florida's new oversight board on Wednesday said Disney's plans for potential expansion of Disney World did not comply with state law, and declared that agreement void.

☆ DeSantis Allies Vote to Nullify Disney’s Control of Florida Resort
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Brooks Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ron DeSantis of Florida to oversee government services at Disney World voted on Wednesday to nullify two agreements that gave The Walt Disney Company vast control over expansion at the 25,000-acre resort complex. Mr. Langley and another board lawyer said Disney violated Florida law in multiple ways, including by failing to fully notify the public of the actions it took. The nullification — the latest in a string of actions against Disney by Mr. DeSantis and his allies — is likely to result in legal fireworks. Disney, the state’s largest taxpayer, has signaled a willingness to fight any attempt to revoke the agreements, which it contends were done in compliance with Florida law. One of the agreements gives Disney the ability to build 14,000 additional hotel rooms, a fifth theme park and three smaller parks.

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