Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signaled Monday that he wants to end his longtime feud with Disney (DIS).
“We’ve basically moved on. They’re suing the state of Florida. They’re going to lose that lawsuit,” DeSantis said in an interview with CNBC.
“So what I would say is, drop the lawsuit,” DeSantis added. “Let’s move forward. I’m totally fine with that, but I’m not fine with giving extraordinary privileges to one special company at the exclusion of everybody else.”
The ongoing political firestorm, which has seen multiple lawsuits and countersuits from both sides, stems from what has largely been seen as a politically targeted response over Disney’s reaction to the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law, which forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade.
In 2022, then-Disney CEO Bob Chapek condemned the law at the company’s annual shareholder meeting after initially deciding not to speak publicly on the matter.
In response, DeSantis signed a bill into law that allows him to take control of the company’s long-standing special tax district, formerly known as Reedy Creek.
Most recently, Florida’s attorney general filed a motion to dismiss an April lawsuit from the entertainment giant, arguing immunity for DeSantis.
Disney had alleged in federal court that DeSantis and other officials launched a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” for its stance on the parental rights bill when the state stripped the company of the self-governing power it held for 55 years.
Disney shares were down about 1.5% on Tuesday.
Source: finance.yahoo.com