Several local and state-level Democratic leaders are pushing Disney to investigate allegations being raised about how workers are being treated at Patina Group’s independently-operated restaurants at Disney Springs and Epcot.

“We are sure you would agree that subcontracting should not be an excuse for lower standards or inadequate treatment of workers,” said a letter signed by Sens. LaVon Bracy Davis and Carlos Guillermo Smith, as well as Reps. Jose Alvarez, Anna Eskamani, Rita Harris and Johanna López.

“We wouldn’t allow a company operating on our property, representing our legacy, to violate our own standards — and we would expect to be held accountable. We call on Disney to investigate these issues that may have occurred on your property operating under your name. We know with your high level of excellence, that sets the standard for Central Florida, we are right to have a high level of expectation for what happens on your property.”

Even though Patina workers are not employed by Disney, the state lawmakers asked The Mouse to investigate whether Patina broke the law by surveilling employees’ union activity and threatening employees if they supported the union. The lawmakers also asked to make sure sexual harassment is not happening in Patina’s restaurants.

Orange County Commissioners Kelly Martinez Semrad and Nicole Wilson held a community forum last week at the Orange County Commission building where advocates publicly released the letters signed by the elected officials in Summer and Fall of 2025.

“We encourage transparency in this process and ask that you publicly share the steps being taken to ensure accountability and compliance,” Semrad wrote in her letter to Disney Government Relations.

Patina leases space at Disney World for its Space 220 restaurant in Epcot, as well as Enzo’s Hideaway, Morimoto Asia, the Edison in Disney Springs and others.

Three of Patina’s restaurants, Tutto Italia, Via Napoli and Tutto Gusto in Epcot’s Italy Pavilion, unionized last year and are now represented by Unite Here 737. United Here, which represents Disney restaurant and beverage employees, is fighting to get them better working conditions.

For years, Patina employees have complained they are paid less than other Disney employees and are stuck in part-time status so they miss out on benefits and paid time off, even as they work up to six days a week.

“I was astounded by what they were encountering in the workplace,” Wilson said in a statement. “In District 1, we are in absolute reliance on the success of our hospitality workers. … They are the smiles that make a family vacation meaningful.”

Unite Here has filed several unfair labor practices complaints against Patina which are still pending at the National Labor Relations Board.

During labor talks, Patina union employees were considering going on strike last year until Disney intervened. An independent arbitrator then shut down what would’ve been a historic strike on Disney property, the Orlando Weekly reported.

Disney and Patina did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

Attorney General James Uthmeier has published an opinion stating that Florida laws requiring state institutions to engage in affirmative action measures while hiring are unconstitutional.

Uthmeier issued his opinion that the state is violating the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and elements of Florida’s Constitution. “Florida maintains several laws on its books that promote and require discrimination on its face,” Uthmeier’s opinion says.

The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution stipulates, “(N)o state shall… deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” He added that Article 1, Section 2, of the Florida Constitution states: “No person shall be deprived of any right because of race, religion, national origin, or physical disability.”

Uthmeier specifically cited an “egregious” Florida statute that mandates statewide participation in “programs of affirmative and positive action” and stipulates that every executive agency “develop and implement an affirmative action plan” that includes goals for race-based hires.

“Because enforcing and obeying these discriminatory laws would violate those bedrock legal guarantees, those laws are unconstitutional,” Uthmeier said in his conclusion. “My office, therefore, will not defend or enforce any of these discriminatory provisions.”

He also said his opinion covers “race-based preferences in government contracting.”

“Florida’s discriminatory contracting provisions earmark certain opportunities for minority contractors without providing any ‘strong basis in evidence’ to support this race-based action,” Uthmeier said.

The 14-page opinion also criticizes race-based quotas in Florida hiring practices and stipulations for minority representation on different boards, councils and other panels.

“The (U.S.) Supreme Court has addressed race-based quotas in the past and held that such quotas cannot satisfy strict scrutiny review,” Uthmeier said.

Uthmeier’s opinion is only a stated position from the Attorney General and is not binding on any other office in the state of Florida.

It’s the second opinion issued from Uthmeier’s Office in the past week. On Wednesday, Uthmeier published an opinion saying Nassau County can’t hike impact fees beyond Florida limits just because its population growth has increased substantially in the past half decade.

Uthmeier issued the opinion at the behest of Rep. Richard Gentry, a DeBary Republican, who worried Nassau County’s interpretation of impact fee increases approved in December would undermine the authority of the Legislature, which sets impact fee laws.

Rep. James Buchanan ended 2025 with more than $1.5 million at his disposal to run for Senate.

Since his launch in January 2025, Buchanan has raised more than $228,000 in his official campaign account. That includes almost $38,000 raised in the fourth quarter of last year. Minus expenses, the campaign closed the year with more than $161,000 in cash.

The Venice Republican remains unopposed in the race to succeed Sen. Joe Gruters in Senate District 22.

“The amount of support we’ve received is truly humbling,” Buchanan said. “I’m grateful to everyone who believes in this campaign and in our shared vision for the district — lower taxes, affordability for families and seniors, and a government that lives within its means. This kind of enthusiasm reminds me why I’m running: to serve, listen, and deliver results that make life more affordable and our community stronger.”

Meanwhile, the Buchanan For Florida political committee raised $1.66 million over the course of 2025, a record year for the committee first launched in 2018. It closed the year with upward of $1.35 million in the bank to support Buchanan’s run for the upper chamber.

Donations include $1,000 from a political committee controlled by Sen. Jim Boyd, a Bradenton Republican in line to lead the Senate next year.

Meanwhile, House Appropriations Committee Chair Lawrence McClure’s Conservative Florida committee in December gave $100,000 to Buchanan’s PC, tying it for the largest single donation ever made to the PC. Political consultant Thomas Piccolo’s committee, Building a Brighter Future For Florida, gave $100,000 to Buchanan’s PC in January 2025.

Celeste Camm’s A Stronger Florida committee gave $55,000 to Buchanan for Florida during the fourth quarter, as did Indelible Solutions. Developer Hugh Culverhouse donated $20,000, as did Sarasota-based FCCI Insurance Group. Ron LaFace’s CCC Committee gave the same over the quarter. Outpost Brands gave $15,000.

Other donations to committee totaling $10,000 came from CCC, 13th Floor HB Manager, Safety Net Hospital Alliance, Shumaker Florida’s PAC, the Associated Industries of Florida’s Voice of Florida Business committee, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the Florida Concrete & Products Association, The Southern Group of Florida, Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, Moving Families Forward, Duke Energy, and philanthropist Dennis McGillicuddy.