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Florida Republicans’ decision to strip Disney of its special district status in response to company officials’ opposition to the state's new anti-LGBTQ education law put the mere idea of special districts in the crosshairs.
Essentially, lawmakers give such zones some latitude to govern themselves, as well as favorable tax status, in recognition of a service they provide to the public.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has made it sound as though Disney has been given truly novel treatment with the Reedy Creek Improvement District, where Disney World is.
The right-wing obsession with Disney’s status is clearly about political retribution.
“What I would say as a matter of first principle is I don’t support special privileges in law just because a company is powerful and they’ve been able to wield a lot of power,” DeSantis said of Disney during a news conference last month.
But, as Joy noted on Monday’s episode of "The ReidOut," there are more than 1,800 active special districts in Florida. (You can view them all here.)
Generally speaking, the benefits and pitfalls of Florida’s special districts have been discussed for years. They essentially “provide specific services” within “well-defined boundaries," according to a 2014 report published by Florida State University’s LeRoy Collins Institute. At the same time, the report found housing in some special districts has been allowed to fall into disrepair.
So, there are arguments for and against Florida’s status quo when it comes to special districts. But the Florida GOP-led Legislature's decision to rescind Disney's special district status had nothing to do with any of them.
The right-wing obsession with Disney’s status is clearly about political retribution. If you don’t believe me, believe the conservative lawmakers who’ve been open about the political motivations behind the recent bill.
There are a few other special districts you might know well.
The Village Center Community Development District — home to The Villages, a largely conservative retirement community — is another example of a special district. So is the Daytona Beach Racing and Recreational Facilities District, where NASCAR’s annual Daytona 500 is held. Another example is the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, the special district that governs the Orlando International Airport.
Florida Republicans haven’t announced any plans to go after any one of those entities’ special status with the same vitriol they’ve used to target Disney (I'll let you take a guess why).
Still, there’s no telling how or when these districts might run afoul of a right-wing politician in the future. The Florida GOP is a mercurial, pro-authoritarian party whose leaders could take offense to any number of perceived insults, big or small.
Punishing Disney out of nearly 2,000 organizations who’ve received the same special authorization suggests Republicans will seek the most severe punishment for those who defy right-wing rule.
That is, if they can actually understand the provisions they're trying to roll back. The Miami Herald reported Wednesday that Disney told investors that lawmakers' attempt to dissolve its special status violated a state statute and that the company would continue operating its special district. Whoops!