Axios Tampa Bay

April 25, 2022
Hey, Monday. Ready to get back to it?
☀️ We've got a sunny, warm week ahead with highs near 90.
- Sounds like: "Velcro," spill tab.
Today's newsletter is 763 words, a 3-minute read.
1 big thing: DeSantis moves on Disney
Photo: James Gilbert/Getty Images
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law on Friday a bill revoking the special status of Reedy Creek, a municipal district operated by Walt Disney Co., Axios' Erin Doherty reports.
Why it matters: This is the latest move by DeSantis against those who oppose the state’s controversial Parental Rights in Education law — dubbed by critics the "Don't Say Gay" law.
- It'll have huge tax implications for Disney, AP reports.
- Reedy Creek was created in 1967 to allow Disney to carry out municipal functions on its own.
What it means: If Reedy Creek is dissolved, the district’s debt obligations, revenues and responsibilities would be transferred to Osceola and Orange counties and the cities of Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake, News Service of Florida reports.
- Just before the law was signed, the Fitch credit ratings agency placed a "rating watch negative" on about $1 billion of Reedy Creek's outstanding debt.
- The district owes around $79 million in outstanding utilities revenue and refunding bonds and about $766 million in outstanding ad valorem tax bonds, according to Fitch's alert.
How we got here: Disney, facing pressure from employees and fans, publicly opposed DeSantis' law, which bans classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity for students in kindergarten through third grade.
What they're saying: Adam Winkler, a UCLA professor who’s written a book on corporate civil rights, told the Tampa Bay Times he expects Disney to raise the First Amendment in any lawsuits.
- This new law, he told the Times, would be like prohibiting people from receiving public assistance checks if they dislike Donald Trump.
Go deeper: DeSantis declares war on Disney
2. We're not worthy, Tom
Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images
If you thought Tom Brady's return was the nicest thing he could have done for the Bucs, well, he just gave them a few million more dollars to play with.
What happened: The legendary QB restructured his contract over the weekend, NFL.com's Kevin Patra reports. We won't bore you with the legalese, but the team now has $9 million more under the salary cap.
- That means a stronger supporting cast, as it "frees up space to eventually sign rookies and potentially add veterans after the draft."
Yes, but: Don't think that Tom is doing this purely out of the goodness of his heart.
- He didn't sign a new deal, and he's still a free agent after this year. So if some team wants to pay him handsomely for a 24th season (and you know they will), he can entertain all offers.
👀 What we're watching: Brady's BFF Rob Gronkowski is still a free agent, and star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is also up for grabs.
- "I'm hoping Gronk comes back to play," Brady recently told Complex. "And Donovan Smith and Lavonte [David], and Devin [White], and Carlton [Davis], and Sean [Murphy-Bunting], and Vita [Vea], all these guys that mean a lot to me."
3. The Pulp: Mandarin, I feel like a woman
Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
🍺 Wesley Chapel bar Top Shelf Sports Lounge is moving into a downtown Tampa office tower at 401 E. Jackson St. in 2023. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
🗣️ Nikki Fried is calling for five statewide gubernatorial debates after Charlie Crist pulled out of a forum in Homestead over the weekend. (Florida Politics)
Manatee County leaders are dedicating new positions and a task force toward resources for homeless residents. (Bradenton Herald)
🤖 Pinellas beaches are getting a "BeBot" robot to help pick up litter. (St. Pete Catalyst)
4. How Ben's garden grows
Scenes from the second harvest. Photo: Ben Montgomery/Axios
👋 Hey, Ben here. The earth is magic.
- Last September, I tilled a 30-by-20-foot patch in my backyard and planted a garden of peas, corn, cucumbers, kale, okra and a few other things.
- You're looking at the second iteration's harvest: cherry tomatoes, carrots, collards, strawberries, cauliflower and (not pictured) broccoli.
Four quick takes after six months of gardening:
- I have thrice eaten full meals out of my yard. That's badass.
- The vegetables seem to like my compost tea, the liquid leakage from kitchen scraps and lawn waste in a plastic bin.
- Shell's Feed and Garden Supply on Nebraska Avenue in Tampa is a great place to find discounted seedlings, seeds, soil and solid advice. If you're not in Tampa, find a family-owned feed store near you.
- This takes so few minutes. Water and a little daily maintenance and you're eating out ya dang yard in no time.
The intrigue: I can't make watermelon or cantaloupe work. What am I doing wrong?
5. 1 fuzzy fledgling to go
Photo: Matthew Paulson/Instagram
Photographer Matthew Paulson captured this barred owlet fledgling in Pinellas County.
- "I watched it fly around the treetops a little then lay down for a rest. Mom was watching from not too far away," he wrote on Instagram.
🦉 Do something brave this week.
🎧 Selene is listening to "Thirty Talks Weird Love." 💕
🥾 Ben is on vacation until Tuesday, hiking through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. 🏔
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