Days after Disney sued Florida’s governor in federal court for what it described as retaliation for opposing the state’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Disney World’s governing board – made up of Gov. Ron DeSantis appointees – filed a lawsuit Monday against the entertainment giant.

The latest development in the tug of war between DeSantis and Disney saw the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District sue Disney in state court in Orlando, and board members vote to defend itself in federal court in Tallahassee where the entertainment company filed its lawsuit last Wednesday.

The Disney lawsuit against the governor, the board and its five members asks a judge to void the governor’s takeover of the theme park resort district previously controlled by Disney for 55 years.

The governing board’s lawsuit seeks to maintain its oversight of design and construction in the district that governs Disney World’s 10,000 hectares after the previous Disney-controlled board signed over those powers to the company before the DeSantis-appointed board members held their first meeting earlier this year.

Disney filed its lawsuit last week after the oversight board appointed by DeSantis voted to void a deal that gave the company authority over design and construction decisions in its sprawling properties near Orlando.

Disney’s lawsuit was the latest in a more than year-old battle between Disney and DeSantis that has engulfed the governor in criticism as he prepares to launch an expected presidential bid in the coming months.

DeSantis, who has framed himself as a Republican firebrand able to deftly implement his conservative agenda without drama, has dived headlong into the fray with the beloved company and major tourism driver, as business leaders and White House rivals bash his stance as a rejection of the small-government tenets of conservatism.

The fight began last year after Disney, in the face of significant pressure, publicly opposed a state law that bans classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades, a policy critics call “Don’t Say Gay.”

As punishment, DeSantis took over Disney World’s self-governing district through legislation passed by Florida lawmakers and appointed a new board of supervisors that would oversee municipal services for the sprawling theme parks and hotels. But before the new board came in, the company pushed though 11th-hour agreements that stripped the new supervisors of much of their authority.

In response, DeSantis and Florida lawmakers vowed to pass legislation that would repeal the agreements and end an exemption for Disney parks when it comes to ride inspections by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The creation of the self-governing district by the Florida Legislature was instrumental in Disney’s decision in the 1960s to build near Orlando. The company had told the state at the time that it planned to build a futuristic city that would include a transit system and urban planning innovations, so the company needed autonomy in building and deciding how to use the land. The futuristic city never materialized and instead morphed into a second theme park that opened in 1982.