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Disney relaxes restrictions on workers' guns
Scott Powers | Sentinel Staff Writer
August 16, 2008
Walt Disney World has limited its ban on employee guns at work to the giant resort's main property only -- and with that move Friday received the blessing of Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum.
Disney riled the National Rifle Association, many other gun advocates and a few Florida lawmakers earlier this summer by declaring it had a special exemption from a new state law allowing Floridians to keep guns locked in their cars while at work. Disney said it could prevent employees from bringing guns with them, even if they had concealed-weapons permits, because the new law contained a loophole for companies -- Disney included -- that hold federal fireworks permits.
The company's position led to a still-unresolved court challenge from a Disney security guard who tested the resort's policy. He brought a gun to work and was fired in early July. The disagreement also spurred others to file complaints with McCollum's consumer-services division, demanding that the state tell Disney it was wrong.
Disney responded Friday by lifting its employee-gun ban at several of its back-office outposts where fireworks are not stored or used, including Disney offices in Celebration and at Little Lake Bryan. The offices employ 5,700 of the more than 60,000 Disney workers in Central Florida, according to spokeswoman Jacquee Polak.
"Until further clarification is received, Cast Members at those facilities . . . will be allowed to keep a gun locked in their personal vehicle as long as they have a concealed-weapons permit, the gun is not visible, and the gun is not removed from the vehicle or exhibited for any reason other than lawful defensive purposes," Disney said in a written statement.
Sandi Copes, McCollum's spokeswoman, said of Disney and its revised policy: "Our office has been in discussions with them about their original policy and the exemption they were claiming. Based on those conversations, Disney has issued a new policy that narrows the focus of the exemption they are claiming, and we believe this new policy complies with the law."
Disney was a backer of McCollum's 2006 campaign for attorney general. The company and more than a dozen executives wrote checks to McCollum during the race, funneling more than $5,000 to his campaign. The contributing executives included Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney World, and Al Weiss, president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Disney also gave more than $520,000 in money and goods during the 2006 campaign to the Republican Party of Florida, which spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to help get McCollum elected.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-disneyguns1608aug16,0,6756078.story
Disney relaxes restrictions on workers' guns
Scott Powers | Sentinel Staff Writer
August 16, 2008
Walt Disney World has limited its ban on employee guns at work to the giant resort's main property only -- and with that move Friday received the blessing of Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum.
Disney riled the National Rifle Association, many other gun advocates and a few Florida lawmakers earlier this summer by declaring it had a special exemption from a new state law allowing Floridians to keep guns locked in their cars while at work. Disney said it could prevent employees from bringing guns with them, even if they had concealed-weapons permits, because the new law contained a loophole for companies -- Disney included -- that hold federal fireworks permits.
The company's position led to a still-unresolved court challenge from a Disney security guard who tested the resort's policy. He brought a gun to work and was fired in early July. The disagreement also spurred others to file complaints with McCollum's consumer-services division, demanding that the state tell Disney it was wrong.
Disney responded Friday by lifting its employee-gun ban at several of its back-office outposts where fireworks are not stored or used, including Disney offices in Celebration and at Little Lake Bryan. The offices employ 5,700 of the more than 60,000 Disney workers in Central Florida, according to spokeswoman Jacquee Polak.
"Until further clarification is received, Cast Members at those facilities . . . will be allowed to keep a gun locked in their personal vehicle as long as they have a concealed-weapons permit, the gun is not visible, and the gun is not removed from the vehicle or exhibited for any reason other than lawful defensive purposes," Disney said in a written statement.
Sandi Copes, McCollum's spokeswoman, said of Disney and its revised policy: "Our office has been in discussions with them about their original policy and the exemption they were claiming. Based on those conversations, Disney has issued a new policy that narrows the focus of the exemption they are claiming, and we believe this new policy complies with the law."
Disney was a backer of McCollum's 2006 campaign for attorney general. The company and more than a dozen executives wrote checks to McCollum during the race, funneling more than $5,000 to his campaign. The contributing executives included Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney World, and Al Weiss, president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Disney also gave more than $520,000 in money and goods during the 2006 campaign to the Republican Party of Florida, which spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to help get McCollum elected.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-disneyguns1608aug16,0,6756078.story