Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) ramped up defense of cultural values by alerting Disney there was a new sheriff in town.
The Florida Republican credited his anti-woke agenda for leading his state’s prosperity during an appearance on the Fox program “Sunday Morning Futures.”
He described how he led Florida’s effort to counter far-left ideology in “all arteries of society,” which included ending Disney’s decades of self-government.
“I think we have to recognize the left is trying to impose its agenda through all of our arteries in society, including corporate America,” DeSantis said to host Maria Bartiromo. “And so part of my job to protect the freedoms of my citizens is to ensure that the left not able to impose their agenda on them through corporate America, through bureaucracy, through universities.”
DeSantis explained Florida’s fight with Disney was about determining who governed the state.
“I think they thought for 60 years they called the shots,” the governor added. “Well, there’s a new sheriff in town, and we call the shots, and we made that very clear.”
The Sunshine State governor signed HB 9B last month — legislation that grabbed back some state control of Disney’s 25,000-acre complex.
Reedy Creek Improvement District became the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District with the governor’s signature. While the state gained the power to seat board members, determine their compensation and revised powers granted Disney in 1966. Disney retained the ability to set and collect taxes to continue paying existing financial obligations.
DeSantis further informed Bartiromo that the state’s crime policies helped entice financial investment in Florida.
Florida’s population increased to 22,244,823 between 2021 and 2022, according to Census Bureau data.
The 1.9 percent increase represented the first time since 1957 Florida recorded the largest percentage increase in population of any state.
Florida’s governor is being scrutinized after visiting Democrat-run cities last month in a public support of law enforcement. Political analysts consider the visits as further proof he is laying the groundwork for a 2024 presidential run.
“Yes, we have lower taxes, yes, we’re a law and order state, and you see disorder around the country, but the dramatic difference in approach between a New York and an Illinois or California and Florida, we really just started getting more wealth, more investment and the state really took off,” DeSantis said.
“My view when we say we’re the free state of Florida, yes, we want to prevent you from being overtaxed, and we don’t have an income tax, make sure you don’t have to deal with these ridiculous COVID restrictions, which Biden is still clinging to, trying to keep Novak Djokovic out of the country, so that’s important,” he continued.
Scroll down to leave a comment and share your thoughts.
