MSNBC contributor Symone Sanders claimed Wednesday that Florida legislators would not act on Governor Ron De Santis’ (R-FL) threats against Disney — only to find out seconds later that they already had. (Disclosure: The Daily Wire has announced plans for children’s entertainment content.)
NBC political director and “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd broached the topic during “MTP Daily” on MSNBC, pointing to the escalating conflict between Florida Republicans and the massive entertainment corporation over legislation like the recently-passed Parental Rights in Education law.
MSNBC's Symone Sanders: "My money is on the Disney lobbyists, honey." pic.twitter.com/udhemVTCDy
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) April 20, 2022
“I know bashing corporations is popular, left and right, these days, but I’d be careful going up against Disney,” Todd said, prompting Sanders to jump in to the conversation.
“Oh, my money is on the Disney lobbyists, honey,” Sanders interrupted.
“My money is on the Disney lobbyists,” she repeated, adding, “Do you think those state legislatures down in Florida are going to bend to the will of the governor? No!”
“Did you see what Jared Polis said?” Todd asked, referencing Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D). “He’d love a Rocky Mountain Disney.”
The panelists all laughed before Todd pivoted to inform Sanders that the Florida legislature had, in fact, already done exactly what she’d predicted they wouldn’t do.
“By the way, the Florida legislature, the State Senate, just passed this bill to strip Disney of its special access,” he said.
The Florida State Senate voted early Wednesday to eliminate the special taxing district that has enabled Disney to effectively govern itself since 1967.
“The measure potentially delivers a blow to the company’s operations in the state,” The Wall Street Journal reported. “The special district, created in 1967 and known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, exempts Disney from a host of regulations and certain taxes and fees related to emergency services and road maintenance.”
Upon learning that DeSantis planned to promote this move in the Florida legislature’s special session, Polis responded again, saying, “We will grant Mickey and Minnie full asylum in Colorado.”
We will grant Mickey and Minnie full asylum in Colorado https://t.co/xpkqvEYoCu
— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) April 19, 2022
The ongoing battle between Florida and Disney began with the recent passage of the Parental Rights in Education law — wrongly dubbed by its opponents as the “Don’t Say Gay” law — which bans classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation for students in kindergarten through third grade.
“Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law. Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that,” a spokesperson for Disney told The Daily Wire.
“We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country,” the statement continued.