TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) 鈥 Florida lawmakers advanced proposals on Wednesday to strip Disney of its self-governing status, expand a controversial migrant transportation program and strengthen prosecutions tied to the state鈥檚 election police unit.
The bills, part of a hastily called special legislative session in the GOP-controlled statehouse, are key priorities of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis as he focuses on cultural issues ahead of his expected 2024 White House run.
Republicans in a House state affairs committee approved legislation to complete the of Walt Disney World鈥檚 Reedy Creek Improvement District. The measures come as the governor punishes the company over its opposition to a law critics call 鈥淒on't Say Gay,鈥 which bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade and lessons deemed not age-appropriate.
The proposal would leave much of the district intact, including its financial obligations, but would rename it to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and require DeSantis to appoint a five-member governing board. Board members previously were named through entities controlled by Disney.
鈥淭his is obliviously now going to be controlled by the state of Florida, which is no longer self-governing for them," DeSantis said at a news conference Wednesday. 鈥淪o, there鈥檚 a new sheriff in town, and that鈥檚 just the way its going to be.鈥
Having a separate government allows the Disney district to issue bonds and provide zoning, fire protection, utilities and infrastructure services on its land. Republican opponents of the district argue it gives Disney a commercial advantage unavailable to others.
Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani said the governor would have too much control over the district when he appoints board members and labeled the takeover as a power grab.
鈥淚 often see this as a low security prison that the company is operating within, where they can pretty much do what they want to do, but if they go off course, they鈥檒l be punished,鈥 she said. 鈥淎nd when you have one official 鈥 the governor 鈥 appoint board members, it鈥檚 not designed to be balanced. It鈥檚 designed to pursue what his political motivations and values are.鈥
The Disney district legislation now moves to the full House.
Also on Wednesday, Republicans in the full Senate and the House judiciary committee passed separate bills to further DeSantis鈥 agenda on immigration and voter fraud.
One proposal would create the Unauthorized Alien Transport Program in the governor鈥檚 administration to relocate migrants within the country if they have been processed by the federal government.
The program would further a DeSantis initiative to relocate migrants that began last year when the Republican used taxpayer dollars to fly about 50 South American migrants from Texas to the Massachusetts resort island of Martha鈥檚 Vineyard in protest of federal immigration policy.
The flight to Martha鈥檚 Vineyard, in addition to drawing condemnation, led to legal questions because the governor鈥檚 office paid for the trip using money intended to transport migrants who were in Florida, not Texas or any other state. The bill lawmakers are considering specifies that future flights could move migrants from anywhere in the U.S.
The bill鈥檚 Senate sponsor, Republican Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, has said the program would help migrants by taking them to liberal, so-called 鈥渟anctuary cities.鈥
鈥淭he state of Florida is not, and never will be, a sanctuary state,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t's time for those sanctuary cities to put their money where their mouth is.鈥
Democrats have heavily criticized the governor's migrant flight program and argued Wednesday that DeSantis was making political pawns out of migrants.
鈥淚 don't know why we are singling them out, we are making them feel uncomfortable,鈥 said Sen. Lori Berman, a Democrat. 鈥淚t's basically a political ploy that we are doing here in the state of Florida.鈥
The other proposal would make clear that the statewide prosecutor has authority to prosecute election crimes in federal and state races, legislation meant to strengthen the power of the governor鈥檚 new election police unit.
DeSantis pushed lawmakers last year to create a law enforcement unit focused on election crimes, addressing a concern of conservative voters after the 2020 election. But in the months since, some of the unit鈥檚 charges have been dismissed by judges because of jurisdiction issues.
The measures still face additional legislative hearings before they reach final passage, though they are expected to pass the statehouse.
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AP writer Curt Anderson contributed from St. Petersburg.
