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Florida’s tug of war with Disney; ban on gender identity instruction; major reforms to higher education 

A statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse stand near the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista on Jan. 9, 2019.
John Raoux
/
AP
A statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse stand near the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

Florida’s tug of war with Disney

The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board, appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, outlined an aggressive plan this week to try to take back control of the special taxing district that covers Disney World.

At the same time, DeSantis floated other changes, even suggesting that the state could build a prison next to the theme park. We explore what the governor’s clash over Disney means for the state’s bottom line.

Guests:

  • Sarah Rumpf, contributing editor for Mediaite. 
  • Michael Allan Wolf, professor at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. 

State extends ban on gender identity instruction

The Board of Education on Wednesday approved a ban on classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades, expanding the law that currently bans those lessons up to grade 3.

The new rule prohibits instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity from grades 4-12, unless required by existing state standards or as part of a reproductive health course that students can opt out of.

Meanwhile, a controversial bill that makes a series of higher education changes is close to passing the Florida Legislature.

Guests:

  • Jeffrey Solochek, education reporter for the Tampa Bay Times.  
  • Jeremy C. Young, education reporter for Politico. 
Bridget O’Brien is an award-winning, versatile audio producer with more than eight years of experience in radio, audience engagement and storytelling across a diverse range of outlets. You can reach Bridget at bobrien@wjct.org.