Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ feud with Disney has gone too far, according to some Republican lawmakers who are increasingly concerned about maintaining the traditional image of the GOP as a pro-business party focused on economic growth and job creation.
Congressional Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who was Florida’s Governor for eight years before DeSantis held the role, says it’s time for “cooler heads to prevail,” highlighting that Disney is a major employer that attracts massive amounts of tourists who boost the state’s economy.
While Scott acknowledged the bill DeSantis signed to ban public schools from teaching sexual orientation to elementary school children was a “good bill,” he emphasized Disney’s importance to Florida’s economy.
Scott noted Disney was either at least the state’s second largest employer.
The GOP Senator noted that half of the Sunshine State’s tourism originates because of Disney, highlighting, that the Mickey Mouse house is the “reason people come to our state.”
He added that those who come to the state for Disney, are also enticed people to move for Florida.
“So I think that the cooler heads must prevail,” Scott added, sharing his view that GOP lawmakers should be doing “everything to help our businesses grow.”
Congressional Senator Marco Rubio (R), who has represented Florida in the Senate since 2011, told Fox News last month that he considered it “problematic” when the state’s actions against an individual or business appear to be more politically motivated.
Marco noted that while he didn’t believe the state had reached that point, DeSantis’s move was creating the impression that running into the crossways of any leader would result in getting in “the crosshairs of the legislature for political purposes.
