On Friday, Just the News reported that Florida Governor Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that will strip Walt Disney World of its special tax and administrative status after the company opposed a parental rights bill the state passed in late March. I have very mixed emotions about this. The head of a corporation should be free to express opposition to a law without the state government penalizing the corporation. It is quite possible that it was time for the ‘Disney deal’ to end, but I am uncomfortable with it being in response to a political stand.

The article reports:

The Reedy Creek Improvement District, a special administrative unit under Disney control will cease to exist under the measure, according to CBS News.

After Florida passed a parental rights bill, derided by critics as a “Don’t Say Gay” measure, the company organized opposition to the law and vowed to see it repealed. The company’s stance earned sharp rebuke from Florida Republicans, who quickly moved to revoke the company’s tax privileges.

In late March, DeSantis signed into law the Parental Rights in Education bill which limited discussion of sexual topics in the classroom by grade levels and restricted inappropriate material.

Disney stock fell 2.79% on Friday, according to Google Finance. Company stock has fallen 31.25% in the past 6 months and trades for $118.27 per share as of press time.

I believe that the Parental Rights in Education bill was a good bill and that Governor DeSantis was correct in signing it. I also believe that a lot of what was reported about the bill was inaccurate and designed to create opposition to the bill. However, I am sincerely concerned about the way the Disney situation was handled. Would conservatives be celebrating if the shoe were on the other foot?