walt disney co. Director Bob Iger

on Monday

fired back at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis

Monday

amid an escalating battle over the company’s political stances and its ability to run its sprawling resorts in the sun itself

S

did.

At Disney’s annual shareholders’ meeting, where ordinary investors can join in a question-and-answer session about the company’s practices, two people complained about the Burbank Entertainment giant’s alleged “awakened” agenda. But another shareholder expressed concern about how tensions in Florida with DeSantis could reverberate across the state.

The dispute has been simmering since Disney took a public stand a year ago on Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law that

S

public school curriculum. After Disneys

former then-

Chief, Bob Chapek, said the company opposed the bill, DeSantis lashed out and led an effort to strip the company of self-government status for its central Florida parks, which

Disney the entertainment giant

has resisted by pushing through its own development plan.

“A company has a right to freedom of speech just like individuals,” Iger said at Monday’s rally, acknowledging that DeSantis “became very angry about the position that Disney was taking.”

The meeting marked Iger’s first annual meeting with shareholders since he returned the following November

Chapek was deposed.

“It seems he has decided to retaliate against us, including appointing a new board to oversee the property and the company, in effect punishing a company for exercising a constitutional right,” said Iger. “That seems really wrong to me.”

Iger noted that Disney

what is

the largest taxpayer in Florida,

that it

has more than 75,000 employees and

that it

helps attract millions of visitors to the state each year, boosting tourism in the state. He noted that the company’s relationship with the state government should be a “two-way street”.

“Our point on this is that any action that thwarts those efforts simply to retaliate against a position the company has taken sounds not only anti-business, but also anti-Florida,” Iger said. “And I’ll leave it at that.”

The company is celebrating its 100th anniversary and 50 years in Florida this year.

Although the meeting took place virtually,

Iger pre-recorded portions of his presentation from Walt Disney World and Epcot in Orlando.

“We love the state of Florida,” Iger said in response to a shareholder.

“That’s reflected not only in how much we’ve invested over the last 50 years, but how much we’ve given back in the form of jobs and community service, taxes, tourism and other responsible business practices,” Iger said. “We have also always respected and appreciated what the state has done for us.”

Iger tried to strike a balance when another shareholder

‘s

complained that Disney played too overt a role in promoting a progressive agenda, including gay themes. Iger said he was sensitive to such concerns.

“

The company’s programming “shouldn’t be agenda-driven, it should be entertainment-driven,” Iger said.

This is an evolving story.