June in St. Petersburg comes with a couple of traditions: the Pride parade, and conversations about whether you're going because it's so dang hot.

Why it matters: Another scorching Pride weekend has some locals questioning whether it's time for a change.

• "We received heaps of comments from locals and visitors alike who feel the end of June is becoming an unsafe time of year to safely celebrate outdoors," coffee shop Bandit wrote in a recent comment on Instagram.
• It's gathered more than 100 likes and responses from some users saying the heat kept them home or made them not want to attend next year.

State of play: Organizers for now aren't considering moving St. Pete Pride's mainstay parade and street fair, which typically occur during the last weekend of June and draw hundreds of thousands of people.

• June has historical significance for the local and national Pride movement, board president Byron Green-Calisch told Axios.
• Shifting it to cooler months could interfere with other local and state Pride events, including St. Pete's Winter Pride in February or Orlando's Come Out With Pride in October.
• And while they've heard complaints about the heat over the years, they've also heard from business owners who appreciate the boost from Pride goers during what's normally a slow season.

The big picture: Climate change is making extreme heat more common, but June temperatures in St. Pete have stayed pretty constant, National Weather Service (NWS) Tampa Bay meteorologist Paul Close told Axios.

• "Upper 80s, lower 90s around St. Pete — that's common" throughout the month of June, Close said. "That's the way it's been for decades."

Still, that heat plus summertime humidity is no joke, even in the evening, when the parade steps off.

• Over the last three Pride parades, St. Pete Fire Rescue helped 210 people experiencing signs of heat illness and transported 23 people for further care, according to Deputy Chief of Emergency Services Brett Ciskoski.
• The Sunday street fair on Central Avenue — which starts in the middle of the day but is lined with air-conditioned shops and restaurants — saw six heat-related encounters over the last three years.

The bottom line: "It's not ever lost on us how hot it is," Byron-Calisch said, and organizers have made changes with that in mind.

• For example, this year's Friday night concert was moved indoors, from Al Lang Field to the Coliseum.
• Organizers have also added events throughout June, including some that are indoors, Green-Calisch said, although to continue that programming the organization needs to close a fundraising gap.

Spread the word

Opposition is mounting to the state's sweeping property tax overhaul — and its once-biggest champion is nowhere to be found.

Why it matters: The constitutional amendment, if passed by 60% of voters, would leave some local governments starved for revenue as they scramble to maintain services and offset billions of dollars in losses.

• Hillsborough County has already warned that it may have to shrink its workforce, nix entire departments and create new taxes, likening the amendment's impact to that of the Great Recession.

Driving the news: Former state Sen. Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg) and former U.S. Rep. Al Lawson (D-Tallahassee) sued last week to keep the amendment off the ballot, arguing its language is "biased and misleading."

• Specifically, the former lawmakers took issue with the amendment's title, "SAVE OUR HOMES FROM EXCESSIVE PROPERTY TAXES," which they contend says nothing about what the amendment does.
• They also argue the ballot summary is misleading for suggesting the amendment "benefits Florida taxpayers," when, they say, "only a small slice" of homeowners will benefit at everyone else's expense.

Zoom out: A new political committee, Floridians for Shared Prosperity, formed this week to campaign against the amendment.

• The coalition includes labor groups, nonprofits and community leaders and is the third formal campaign launched against the amendment, according to Politico Florida.

The big picture: The amendment's supporters have yet to mount a major campaign — and don't expect Gov. Ron DeSantis to become its marquee messenger.

• The governor announced last week that, although he will vote for the amendment, he will not "lead the effort" in campaigning, explaining that the version passed by the Legislature "wasn't my proposal."

Between the lines: His hands-off approach is uncharacteristic for a governor who has spent his tenure seeking to influence elections large and small.

• In previous cycles, the governor poured his political capital into local school board races and used state resources to fight pushes for marijuana legalization and abortion rights.

The bottom line: The amendment may test whether a popular idea needs an organized campaign to win at the ballot box.

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🌀 Researchers at Colorado State University downgraded their forecast for this year's hurricane season to "well-below normal," anticipating nine named storms, four hurricanes and one major hurricane. (Tampa Bay Times)

✉️ Vote-by-mail ballots will soon be mailed out across Tampa Bay as counties prepare for the Aug. 18 primary. (Times)

💰 Pinellas County will receive nearly $30 million from the Natural Resources Conservation Service to restore creeks damaged by Hurricane Milton, repairing erosion and clearing vegetation. (Bay News 9)

🚕 Waymo says its driverless vehicles will soon begin operating in Tampa without a human behind the wheel, ahead of a public robotaxi launch. (WFLA)

It's the most wonderful time of the year... well, unless you're a Burmese python.

• The annual Florida Python Challenge begins at noon tomorrow and continues until 5pm on July 19.

Why it matters: The invasive species preys on nearly every mammal in the Everglades and faces few predators apart from humans.

• The competition aims to raise awareness about the threat Burmese pythons pose to Florida's ecosystem.

What to know: You must register before tomorrow to participate. Group members must each register as individuals and submit the $25.00 fee.

• Before signing up, participants must review the rules, complete the free online course, and pass the quiz with a score of 85 or higher.

The big picture: Whoever removes the most pythons will win $10,000.