| Good Morning, Frustrated by his daily commute to Baton Rouge from Lafayette, state Senate President Page Cortez pushed legislation that would allow the state to double fines, install more signs and use cameras to track drivers' speed over the 18 miles of the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge. His Senate Bill 435 cleared its first hurdle last week when a committee advanced the measure without opposition. SB435 likely will need a new fiscal note and possibly a hearing in the Senate Finance Committee before the full chamber can vote. But few think that the legislation will fail. Meanwhile, the House Appropriations Committee finished work on the state’s operating budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. Among the increases in the budget that tops out well over $37 billion for the year are boosts in salaries for K-12 public schoolteachers and college faculty, clinicians who work with disabled children and adults, plus more funding for a slew of early childhood education initiatives. The higher education raises would vary, but elementary and secondary school teachers would get $1,500 pay raises while school support staff would receive $750 increases. If the state Revenue Estimating Conference, as expected, approves an improved tax collection forecast next month, Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards wants to boost salaries further, to $2,000 for teachers and $1,000 for support staff. But House Bill 1 is far from complete. The full House must approve, then the state Senate gets a crack. Usually, the definitive version is cobbled out behind closed doors by three representatives and three senators in conference committee. That generally takes place in the waning days of the legislative session, which must adjourn by 6 p.m. June 6. Part of the negotiations will involve whether to set aside $500 million from the surplus dollars to pay the initial costs of building another bridge across the Mississippi River – somewhere between Interstate 10 and the Sunshine Bridge – to drain off some of the through travelers who contribute to strangled traffic in Baton Rouge. Edwards says the fund would show the state’s seriousness about getting started on the $2 billion bridge. Legislative leaders, who represent the Republican majority, say the fund could be raided by future Legislatures. Local government agencies and sheriffs have balked at House Speaker Clay Schexnayder’s renewed effort to centralize state and local sales tax collections and disbursements. Local taxing entities are given authority in the state Constitution to raise and collect the local portions of the sales taxes that is a prime source of funding for local services. Voters in November rejected removing that local power from the Constitution. Schexnayder, who points out that Louisiana is one of the last states without centralized collections, is pushing another vote this fall. After focusing during the first weeks of the session on overturning a veto by Edwards, legislators are pressing to move their bills during the remaining weeks of the session. As always, check throughout the day for the latest Louisiana political news at theadvocate.com/politics or NOLA.com/politics and on Twitter at @MarkBallardCNB, @tegbridges, @samkarlin, @blakepater, @WillSentell. Here are a dozen articles, commentaries and editorials that will catch you up for the week to come. One last item: Thank you to our subscribers. Your support means a great deal to us. If you're not yet a subscriber, we’ve got a special offer you can check out here. – Mark Ballard | 