More News from the Front Lines of the Reedy Creek Battle
Democratic House members file pointed amendments.
A handful of proposed amendments to Florida state bill HB 9B were proposed by Democratic State Representatives Anna V. Eskamani and Rita Harris after the bill came to light on Monday, February 6th.
The amendments, unlikely to be included in the final bill due to the Republican super-majority in the Florida State House, seem to serve as warning shots for the potential upcoming legal battle over representation in the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
For more on the bill itself:
Harris’ rather low-key amendments ask that restrictions to becoming a candidate for a board seat for the district should include those who have made political contributions to the sitting governor as well as a prohibition to keep anyone affiliated with the district from being able to give gifts, financial or otherwise, to the governor.
Eskamani’s amendments are far more pointed: most notably in a suggestion to rename the district to “Florida’s Attempt to Silence Critical and Independent Speech and Thought.”
More practically she suggests that the district board be expanded to include seven members: three appointed by the state Cabinet, one the mayor of Orange County, one the chair of the Osceola Board of County Commissioners, one the mayor of Orlando, and one the mayor of Kissimmee.
Along similar lines to Harris’ amendments, Eskamani also adds two to the effect that neither the position of the administrator of the district nor of the general counsel representing the district may be held by anyone who has been in any elected office within 10 years or who has made any contributions to the governor.
The Representative also takes a shot at Disney requiring that any taxpayer responsible for more than 50% of the district property taxes must file their income tax using “worldwide unitary combination.” This means that Disney cannot treat its corporate entities separately, writing off losses from one subsidiary company without considering the profits of another.
Again, these amendments are extremely unlikely to get incorporated into the bill but do serve as brightly flashing signs indicating the legal issue that could come with the passage of this bill into law: the state takeover of a district without allowing for appropriate representation of the citizens or landowners.
Update: The State Affairs Committee of the Florida House took up a discussion of the bill, on February 8th; as expected, all amendments failed to be incorporated and the bill passed the committee as written.
The bill will now be put on the house docket for a vote potentially as soon as tomorrow.
Disney has thus far not responded.
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Kelly McCubbin is a columnist for Boardwalk Times