Sigh. The pro-wrestling match between Florida govenor Ron DeSantis and the Walt Disney Company is getting more theatrical each week.
Now, the potential U.S. Presidential candidate is seeking to have a judge removed from his federal lawsuit against Disney. U.S. District Judge Mark Eaton Waller is in the crosshairs of DeSantis now. According to the Orlando Sentinel, a motion was filed on May 19th, accusing the judge of showing favoritism towards Disney in past lawsuits.
The concerns in question relate to statements Judge Waller had previously made concerning Florida’s Individual Freedom Act. Two of the quotes listed show that the U.S. District Judge was worried that Disney’s special status would be affected if it violated the Act:
“What’s in the record, for example — is there anything in the record that says we are now going to take away Disney’s special status because they’re woke?”
“And then Disney is going to lose its status because — arguably because they made a statement that run afoul — ran afoul of state policy of the controlling party.”
The statements were taken from two separate cases. Still, Ron DeSantis’s legal team believes the “unprompted” inclusion of Disney’s unique self-governing status warrants him to be removed due to impartiality.
Although arguments can be made that Florida is targeting Disney unfairly, the recent changes to Reedy Creek have had positive results. The first responders servicing Disney’s special district have finally been allowed to renegotiate their contracts.
On the other hand, the new State oversight could also mean various parts of Walt Disney World could be shut down over safety, such as the monorail.
We want to point out that the recently canceled Lake Nona campus was most likely due to budget concerns rather than the DeSantis legal battle. Disney’s need to save money means many things, including the relocation plan, are being scrapped.
[Source: Orlando Sentinel]
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