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Colorado governor offers “asylum” to Mickey and Minnie amidst culture war between Disney and Florida’s DeSantis

governor polis colorado ron desantis mickey minnie mouse
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As the war rages on between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Disney CEO Bob Chapek and The Walt Disney Company, the whole country has a front-row seat to the action, the anger, and the antics.

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.

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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 bill.”

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,” tweeted Governor Polis, jokingly. With his message, Polis retweeted a post from Representative Andrew Learned, which reads, “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.”

Governor Polis’s  tweet comes as tensions continue to grow in Florida between members of the State of Florida legislature and Governor Ron DeSantis and Disney CEO Bob Chapek and The Walt Disney Company.

The storm began brewing when Bob Chapek first took a public stance against Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education” bill, which was signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis on March 28. For weeks after the introduction of the bill, Chapek had remained silent on the matter, as did the CEOs of Disney’s Florida competitors.

Don't Say Gay' bill signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis | AP News

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But after continued pressure to make a statement, Chapek conceded, finally making a statement on behalf of The Walt Disney Company, denouncing Florida’s education bill. Regardless, the bill passed in late March.

Chapek immediately issued a statement on behalf of Disney, part of which included a vow from the Disney CEO 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 bill 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.”

Ron DeSantis dunks on Disney in donor pitch

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“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 Florida Senate and Florida House voted on a bill that would dissolve Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District, which was created under state law in 1967. The bill was passed in both sides of the legislature and is awaiting Governor DeSantis‘s signature at this time.

Florida's House votes to dissolve Disney's Reedy Creek Improvement District  - Disney Dining

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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!)

About Becky Burkett

Becky's from the Lone Star State and has been writing since she was 10 and encountered her first Disney Park when she was 11. It was love at first Main Street Electrical Parade. Joy is blank lined journals, 0.7 mm pens, and all things Walt, Woody and Buzz, PIXAR, Imagineering, Sleeping Beauty (make it blue!), Disney Parks history and EPCOT. At Disney World, you'll find her croonin' with the birdies at the Enchanted Tiki Room or hangin' with Woody and the gang at Toy Story Land. If you can dream, you really can do it!