By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Tallahassee
A group representing journalists is supporting Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in a federal-court fight against Gov. Ron DeSantis, saying state retaliation against the entertainment company violated the First Amendment.
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit group, filed court documents Friday arguing that U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor should reject a state request to dismiss a lawsuit that is part of a long-running feud between DeSantis and Disney.
The feud stems from Disney’s opposition to a 2022 state law that restricted instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation in public schools. Disney filed a federal lawsuit in April, alleging, in part, that the state had improperly retaliated against it.
“Here, the government conduct in question targets a public company, but if the state of Florida and its officials succeed in defending their actions against Disney in this case, governments across the country may be emboldened to take action against not only public companies, but journalists, reporters, and the greater news media when they exercise their First Amendment freedoms,” lawyers for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press wrote in one of the documents filed Friday.
The federal-court filings came on the same day that an Orange County circuit judge refused a request by Disney to dismiss a separate lawsuit filed in May by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
DeSantis and Republican lawmakers this year created the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District to replace the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which Disney had effectively controlled for decades. DeSantis also was given the power to appoint board members for the revamped special district.
In the Orange County lawsuit, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District is seeking a ruling that development agreements reached by Disney and the former Reedy Creek board are “null and void.” The agreements were approved shortly before the switch to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight board.
Orange County Circuit Judge Margaret Schreiber on Friday issued a 14-page decision denying a Disney request to dismiss the case or put it on hold until the federal lawsuit is resolved.
In the federal lawsuit, Disney alleged constitutional violations rooted in retaliation by DeSantis and his political allies. A key issue is a state law passed this spring invalidating the disputed development agreements between Disney and the former Reedy Creek board.
Attorneys for the state filed a motion June 26 seeking dismissal of the federal lawsuit on a series of grounds and took aim at what they described as a “sweetheart deal” that Disney enjoyed with the Reedy Creek district, which the state created in the 1960s. The motion said the state determined that Reedy Creek needed reform.
“Local taxes? Disney set them,” the motion said. “Building and safety codes? Disney set those, too. Caps on land development? Disney made the final call. Disney could exercise eminent domain, permitting it to annex territory even outside the District’s borders, all without legislative approval. It could build and operate an airport, or even a nuclear power plant.”
Disney is fighting the motion to dismiss the case and was backed Friday by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which requested approval to file a friend-of-the-court brief.
The request and the accompanying brief focused on the possibility of a broader threat of retaliation against journalists or businesses that anger governments. The brief said DeSantis and other defendants are asking the court “to depart from fundamental First Amendment precedent that prohibits government retaliation against a private speaker for commentary perceived by the state as critical — as defendants have done here.”
“This is a significant First Amendment case,” the brief said. “One of the world’s largest companies has alleged that a state openly acted to punish it for speaking out on issues of public concern — and the state has admitted as much.”
(Editor’s note: The News Service of Florida is not a member or donor to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.)
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If “Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press” is supporting Disney based on the argument that DeSantis infringed on Disney’s 1st Amendment Rights, then we should expect them to be a vocal supporter of Donald Trump’s 1st Amendment Rights otherwise they will appear to be just another left wing front group bending the Bill of Rights through lawfare to favor the progressive agenda
DIE! DISNEY DIE! You RUINED FLORIDA!
You poor kid… does your mother know what your doing with her iPad. Hang in there, sport… the other one will drop some day.
@Edward Lyle –
“For instance, there was no significant passage of time between you posting that the Pedo-In-Chief should go and then making your argument (albeit delusional at best) on why he should stay.”
It’s easy. Any other elected Democrat would have largely the same policy set as Biden, thus, I don’t really care if he goes or not, as long as a Democrat retains the position. Directionally, they are the same as Obamas, or Hillary’s, or Newsom’s or any other Democrat we would likely see. See how easy to reconcile?
Now, try to reconcile the observable reality that RD is < 30+ points to Trumpy in 99% of polls.
@ DeepStatePropagandist… the only observable reality is that you are clear incapable of observing reality. But I have an idea, let’s talk about the significance of the passage of time.
For instance, there was no significant passage of time between you posting that the Pedo-In-Chief should go and then making your argument (albeit delusional at best) on why he should stay.
Lay off the weed and CNN, sport… you’ll feel better about yourself, I promise
@Nicholas Weed –
“Trump left just enough swamp for you to step in it and boy did you ever!”
Well, I suppose it’s just *another* thing he said he would do, but then didn’t do. I know that doesn’t bother this gang though!
“That giant sucking swish sound is the swamp eliminating you into the nearest sewer. Bon Voyage!”
Good one!
Deeply Disturbed
Trump left just enough swamp for you to step in it and boy did you ever! That giant sucking swish sound is the swamp eliminating you into the nearest sewer. Bon Voyage!
@Nicholas Weed –
“You’re stuck on Trump ”
It seems to me, that the Republican party is stuck on Trump! That’s why DeSantis is trailing him by 30+ points. I mean, do you disagree with this simple observation of reality?
But I do admit, it is fun to point out the times that Trump said a thing, never delivered on said thing, and nobody in the Republican party cares because their compass point is a cult of personality, as opposed to a strategy of governance.
The people in the Republican party literally don’t care that Trump didn’t drain the swamp, didn’t cancel Obamacare, didn’t build a wall, didn’t have infrastructure week, did sleep with and pay off Stormy Daniels, didn’t cut the national debt, didn’t deport all illegal immigrants, did not put Hillary in jail, didn’t do anything about ‘election fraud’. None of that matters to them; either because they’re too dumb to notice, or they never cared in the first place.
So yes it is fun to point out the intellectual bankruptcy of modern day ‘conservatives’. What of it?
“You are drowning in your own swamp and there is no life vest in sight.”
What? And I thought Trump drained the swamp!?!
Deranged State PR Hack Wannabe
You’re stuck on Trump and January 6th default talking points shows your desperation and panic that you are already in the losing column. You are drowning in your own swamp and there is no life vest in sight.
@Pat A –
“DSP I really don’t care what you say.”
That’s the thing about reality, it doesn’t care about your feelings. That’s why climate change is real, it is why evolution is real, it is why the Earth is billions of years old. It also is why conservatives are underwater with young voters; they can tell that the Republican party is largely out of lockstep with observable reality.
@Edward Lyle –
“Out of curiosity, what is the going per-post rate the DNC pays for such banality?”
Good one! Hahaha! It’s about 10K per post.
“When the so-called “leader” of your progressively-Marxist Democrat Party is a corrupt, senile, lying, treasonous pedo puppet who often forced his prepubescent daughter to bathe with him… it’s best you just find a quite place and sit down.”
I could care less about Biden. In fact, he needs to go. But I like his policies, directionally, roughly 1000% more than the alternative. Also, I like how his policies are (largely) in line with observable reality, climate change is real, government can help people, historic low unemployment, the infrastrucure bill, etc. I remember how Trump was going to have ‘infrastructure week’, that was quaint! Also, I remember how Trump was going to destroy Obamacare ‘on day 1’. Remember that? (Note: It is observable reality that Trump said these things)
“DeSantis/Scott 2024… the winning ticket, in a landslide”
Maybe if Trump is in jail? But right now, the observable reality is that DeSantis is < 30+ plus to Trump in the Republican primary voting polls.
@ DeepStatePropagandist… Out of curiosity, what is the going per-post rate the DNC pays for such banality?
When the so-called “leader” of your progressively-Marxist Democrat Party is a corrupt, senile, lying, treasonous pedo puppet who often forced his prepubescent daughter to bathe with him… it’s best you just find a quite place and sit down.
DeSantis/Scott 2024… the winning ticket, in a landslide
DSP I really don’t care what you say.
@Pat A –
“No conservative is interested in your liberal point of view. ”
The fact that conservatives used to think government should stay out of what a business does, but now don’t isn’t a ‘point of view’, it is observable reality.
The fact that DeSantis is trailing Trump by 30 points isn’t an idea, it is observable reality.
The fact that Florida has 5000+ open teacher positions, double pre-covid levels is observable reality.
The fact that DeSantis fired half is campaign staff is observable reality.
The fact that DeSantis fired a staffer for tweeing Nazi imagery is observable reality.
@Nicholas Weed –
What?
“Have you heard about the treason, corruption, and cocaine over at the White House?”
Yeah, I’m really starting to think we shouldn’t have elected that Hunter Biden guy. Good point. And the cocaine was totally a drop, cokeheads don’t accidentally drop their coke and lose it. What’s the ‘treason’ part again, though, cause I don’t know about that part. Was that the January 6th thing? Cause that was a different President.
Deeply Disturbed Psychopath
You need to get a new platform because the one you have has plunged and disintegrated due to the lack of foundation. Have you heard about the treason, corruption, and cocaine over at the White House? Get out of your mom’s basement and get some fresh air to blow off some of those dead brain cells. There is one room left over at the woke detox center with your name on it.
DSP. Move on. No conservative is interested in your liberal point of view. I don’t read what you write. My guess is, you were potty trained too soon. Plus I’m tired of being taxed to support you.
I love how Republican’s are suddenly all in on cancel culture! I mean, what a bunch of complete hypocrites to bleat about letting the market decide and keeping government out of business decisions for literally decades, then turning on a dime when a sausage in a suit tells them it’s anti woke for the government to tell {some} businesses how they should {speak} cause they are people too. The funny thing is that seeing how as Republican campaigns are funded by corporation-people, the puppet masters money bags that prop up Republican candidates think the policy is radioactive.
DeSantis knows his actions against Disney will never stand up in court, but he doesn’t care because he’ll be long gone by the time {nothing} happens. He won’t be in the White House, that’s for sure, seeing how as he has the charisma of a truckers hemorrhoid wipe, and is currently 30 points behind the guy that lost the last election and helped lose the midterms, but hey, whatever, we’ve managed to make racists and bigots feel OK about *their* feelings for another day. In the meantime, Florida has the most openings for teachers *ever*, but what has he done about that except tell universities to dismantle diversity programs?
Hey, has anyone googled yet about how DeSantis fired half his campaign staff cause his campaign is underwater? The one guy he fired for tweeting Nazi symbology was especially quaint; what a huge surprise!
Get bent, losers.
It should be obvious to all, by now, that the Democrats, main-stream media and Disney are determined to promote perversion and to teach the young children that is normal. The differences between the conservatives and liberals is not reconcilable. Contrary to popular beliefs, it was the liberal northern states forcing their will on the South and taxing them out of business that started the War Between the States. Don’t take my word for it, read what Jefferson Davis and Charles Dickens wrote about the secession. Just like today. Liberals are trying to force their perversion on conservatives.
Why can’t Liberals just live a private life instead of dancing around in the street, dressed like perverts and insisting on Drag Queen Story Hour for children. Go live your life the way you want and stop pushing your crap on us.
The Lake of Sulfur awaits them.
The 1st Amendment does NOT stop any Consequences. You may have the RIGHT to say it BUT, there is always Consequences for saying it, good or bad..
Mickey Mouse receives the most write-in votes in every election, but always loses to the best Governor in America!
Isn’t it about time for Governor DeSantis to send a plane of illegal immigrants to Disneyland?
This should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone. The lefty media arguing against a Republican governor (or any other Republican) is just SSDD.
SSDD — Same Stuff, Different Democrat