As the war rages on between The , the whole country has a front-row seat to the action, the anger, and the antics. and and
And some in the front row are using their power and their titles to outstretch their arms to Bob Chapek and Disney, welcoming them to pull up roots and make a new life for themselves in other places.
In March, California Governor Gavin Newsom reached out via Twitter, tweeting “Disney, the door is open to bring those jobs back to California–the state that actually represents the values of your workers.” Along with his tweet, Newsom included a link to an article in the L. A. Times titled, “Disney employees ‘hurt’ and ‘angry’ over CEO’s response to Florida LGBTQ .”
Disney, the door is open to bring those jobs back to California – the state that actually represents the values of your workers. https://t.co/kbCi7Zgs90
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) March 13, 2022
Now, the state of Colorado is following suit.
In a tweet, Colorado Governor Jared Polis reached out to Disney–and Mickey and Minnie Mouse specifically, saying Colorado would grant them both full political asylum.
We will grant Mickey and Minnie full asylum in Colorado https://t.co/xpkqvEYoCu
— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) April 19, 2022
“We will grant Mickey and Minnie full asylum in Colorado,” tweeted Governor Polis, jokingly. With his message, Polis retweeted a post from Representative Andrew Learned, which reads, “ and Mickey Mouse. This isn’t a joke, this is 2022, and the modern Republican Party.” is seeking to turn today’s Special Legislative Session into a full-scale attack on
BREAKING: Governor DeSantis is seeking to turn today's Special Legislative Session into a full-scale attack on Walt Disney World and Mickey Mouse. This isn't a joke, this is 2022 and the modern Republican Party.
— Rep. Andrew Learned (@AndrewLearned) April 19, 2022
Governor Polis’s tweet comes as tensions continue to grow in Florida between members of the State of The . and and and
The storm began brewing when Bob Chapek first took a public stance against Florida’s “which was signed into law by . For weeks after the introduction of the on March 28 , Chapek had remained silent on the matter, as did the CEOs of Disney’s Florida competitors. in Education” ,
But after continued pressure to make a statement, Chapek conceded, finally making a statement on behalf of The , denouncing Florida’s education . Regardless, the passed in late March.
Chapek immediately issued a statement on behalf of Disney, part of which included a vow from the that the company would work to help in the efforts to have the law repealed.
“For Disney to come out and put a statement and say that the should have never passed and that they are going to actively work to repeal it,” DeSantis said, “I think, number one, was fundamentally dishonest, but number two, I think that crossed the line.”
“For [Disney] to say that they’re going to work to repeal substantive protections for parents, as a company that’s supposedly marketing its services to parents with young children, I think they crossed the line.”
DeSantis continued, saying “This state is governed by the interests of the people of the state of Florida. It is not based on the demands of California corporate executives. They do not run this state. They do not control this state.”
During a special session this week, the , which was created under state law in 1967. The voted on a that would dissolve Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District was passed in both sides of the legislature and is awaiting ‘s signature at this time. and
As far as Governor Polis and Colorado are concerned, who knows? Colorado might make the perfect spot for Disney’s new headquarters. And maybe even a brand-new Disney theme park resort! (It’d be better than Texas, anyway!)