After Disney filed a lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) on Wednesday, alleging a “relentless campaign to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint unpopular with certain State officials, Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) expressed her support for the governor and his policies.
“Disney inserted themselves into this fight in the first place,” she claimed in an interview with the Washington Examiner.
FLORIDA MEN: KAT CAMMACK SPEAKS OUT ON LOOMING DESANTIS-TRUMP BATTLE
“Florida has taken a very strong stance in protecting children and supporting parents,” the Florida congresswoman said. “And when they wanted to step in the fight and say that, you know, what policies are the best for their company — then that opened the door for the state of Florida to take action.”
“I think when you, as a parent, are seeing these corporations work tirelessly to undermine your role as a parent — to change the narrative — even something as basic as you can’t say ‘welcome boys and girls’ when you go to Disneyland or Disney World, I mean, that’s a little bit concerning,” she explained.
DeSantis’s dispute with the popular company and amusement park began in March 2022 when the Florida legislature passed the Parental Rights in Education Act, which became referred to as “Don’t Say Gay” by various media. The law, which has since been signed, prohibits instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in grades kindergarten through third. It also requires that parents be informed if their children begin being referred to by new pronouns.
After its signing, Disney released a statement claiming it “should never have passed and should never have been signed into law.”
Ever since, a battle has raged on between Disney and the Florida government over the park’s various special privileges. On Feb. 27, DeSantis signed House Bill 9-B, which his office said ends “the Corporate Kingdom of Walt Disney World.”
As a result, Disney is now under the oversight of the state government through a new state-appointed board. This was cemented last week when the board declared a previous agreement between Disney and the prior board as void. Disney’s suit came soon after.
“As we saw in the state legislature, they stripped their special tax status,” Cammack said, referring to the earlier signing of (HB) 9-B.
“For the longest time, Disney has operated as an independent entity with their own fire department, police department, etc., really beholden to no one else but themselves,” she said. “And that’s going to change.”
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According to Cammack, “I think that, as a business, you have the right to make the best decisions for you and your consumers. But when you start infringing on the political process, and really trying to carve out special favors for yourself, that’s a problem.”
“I’m really proud of the work that Ron DeSantis has done in protecting parents and children,” she added. “We’ll see how this plays out. I have a feeling there’s a long road ahead.”