https://www.cbsnews.com/news/disney-cancels-florida-investment-desantis-lake-nona/

Disney is pulling out of a $1 billion investment in Florida amid DeSantis feud

The Walt Disney Co. said it is pulling out of a roughly $1 billion investment in Florida, citing "changing business conditions." The media and entertainment giant announced the move amid a year-long feud with the state's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, after Disney publicly opposed his bill to limit instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools. 

In a memo sent to Disney employees, Josh D'Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, said that the company isn't moving forward with its plans to build a new Disney campus in Lake Nona. 

The decision to scrap the development comes less than a week before DeSantis is expected to announce his presidential campaign. On Friday, the editorial board of the Miami Herald wrote that national voters should take Disney's cancellation of the project as a warning, noting, "Floridians are the losers here. We've lost jobs and investment, and we could lose even more, all because DeSantis picked a petty fight with Disney."

The Lake Nona complex would have included several buildings employing 2,000 Disney workers that would have been relocated from California to Florida.

The decision to scrap the Lake Nona campus also comes as Disney cuts more than $5 billion in costs, with CEO Bob Iger seeking a "transformation." But Iger recently mulled on an investor conference call about his company's frayed relationship with Florida, which led to Disney suing DeSantis last month, alleging that the governor had overseen a "targeted campaign of government retaliation."

"Does the state want us to invest more, employ more people and pay more taxes, or not?" Iger mused on the May 10 conference call. 

DeSantis might covet Disney's money, but I get the sense he doesn't want Disney in Florida at all.

I wonder if other businesses have difficulties with other states because of outspoken political beliefs.

Alan,

DeSantis might covet Disney's money, but I get the sense he doesn't want Disney in Florida at all.

Fair assessment. 

For the record, DeSantis wanted to revoke Disney's special status, what with their autonomous setup, and he made it sound like Disney was the only one when there are quite a number of such districts in the state including The Villages and Daytona Speedway. 

Bottom line then: DeSantis' problem was wholly with Disney and the special staus thing was just a red herring. In addition, back in the pandemic days, DeSantis very clearly said that he didn't want anyone else telling either him or the people in his state what to do. So, what is he doing now with Disney, the 'Don't Say Gay' bill and banning books? Yup, telling people what to do. 

In no uncertain terms: He's a fucking hypocrite. 

I don't think the tax status thing was a red herring.  DeSantis wanted Disney to do as they were told, to follow the rules.  When they didn't, he began looking for ways to force Disney to do his bidding.  Disney was not going to abide by DeSantis's rules...DeSantis was not going to allow Disney to dissent so publicly.  I think DeSantis places less emphasis on the political schism and more emphasis on making the disagreement personal - much as Trump would.  Both parties are becoming adept at getting what they want by using roundabout means.  If they can't make a thing illegal on its merits, they back up to the political supports for the thing and make them illegal.

In the Disney situation, DeSantis can't just shut Disney up.  So he wants to remove their special tax district.  If he can't simply remove it because of the way it's constructed, he'll try to remove the statutes that supported its original creation - also borrowing from Trump.  Trump couldn't get the money to build the wall...he took the money away from another department and went ahead with construction.  DeSantis argues mightily against illegal immigration and acted in an illegal maneuver to ship a bunch of Texas illegals to Massachusetts.  He and Trump both understand that by the time the courts can figure it out, it's done and over with.

As I understand it, Greg Abbott was busing illegals to Chicago and DC.  Ron DeSantis contracted to pick up "illegal immigrants" in Texas and fly them to Martha's Vineyard.  Big news at the time.

Florida's DeSantis flies dozens of "illegal immigrants" to Martha's Vineyard, escalating tactic against "sanctuary destinations" - CBS News