Staff Reports
Republican Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida is taking on big businesses and calling out fellow Republicans who oppose his efforts to do so. Gov. DeSantis recently signed legislation that restricts state agencies and local governments from considering Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors when issuing bonds, prohibits banks from considering “social credit” when making loan decisions, and prevents discrimination on the basis of political, social, or religious ideology.
The Governor is receiving criticism from some of his fellow Republicans over his feud with Disney. This feud began when DeSantis signed parental rights legislation in March 2022 that Disney opposed. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, and former President Donald Trump have all spoken out against DeSantis over this issue. Governor DeSantis, a potential 2024 Republican Presidential nominee fired back at his critics, calling them “corporatists” in an interview with The American Conservative.
DeSantis also approved legislation that ended Disney’s control over the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Disney sued DeSantis over the legislation after the company allegedly tried to undermine the bill the Governor signed. The Governor defended his efforts to rein in big businesses and their involvement in politics. He pointed out that companies, such as Google, may not necessarily violate antitrust laws, but they still exercise enormous power. This power could potentially lead to a handful of companies dominating our society.
https://twitter.com/rachelbovard/status/1658115793014358016
The Governor emphasized his belief that an antitrust principle needs to be applied to prevent a small number of private power centers from becoming too dominant in our society. DeSantis believes that the absence of government intervention can lead to corporatism, and he thinks that too many Republicans have been corporatists over the years. His critics may not agree with his position on big business, but the Governor is standing firm and doing what he believes is best for Florida and the country.
Source: The Daily Caller
