Disney to lose special tax status in US after opposing ‘don’t say gay’ bill
Disney could be stripped of its special tax status in the US, after opposing Florida’s controversial ‘don’t say gay’ bill.
The proposed state law limits the teaching of LGBTQ+ issues in schools, which Disney eventually condemned following scrutiny.
Florida politicians have given legislative approval to removing Disney’s designation as a self-governing entity, which allows it to oversee an area of around 10,000 hectares in central Florida, where Walt Disney World resort is located – and get desirable tax breaks.
“By trying to bring California values to Florida, Floridians have said, ‘All right, you’re a guest in our state. Maybe you don’t deserve special privileges anymore,'” the lead sponsor of the bill, Republican state representative Randy Fine, told CNBC.
The Republican-led house in the state voted 70-38 to scrap Disney’s special tax district, which was first gifted to the entertainment giant in 1967.
The state senate also approved the measure, 23-16, in a vote on Wednesday.
The law would blanket Disney in June next year, which will do away with the group being responsible for providing its own emergency services, as well as power, water and road maintenance.