| Good Morning, The two-month-old 2021 General Session of the Louisiana Legislature is coming down to its final days. Lawmakers must adjourn by 6 p.m. Thursday. Legislators cleared the operating budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 much earlier than usual. Cynics say the Republican legislative majority wanted to ensure they wouldn’t have to bring everyone back to Baton Rouge to challenge Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards use of the line-item veto. The remaining money bills that need action during the next three days would fund state construction projects and detail how to spend the federal COVID-19 pandemic aid. But leadership’s chief goal for this session – revamping Louisiana’s system for collecting taxes – is still being hammered out behind closed doors in conference committee. The state’s tax rates are nominally higher than neighbors, but the hundreds of exemptions, credits and breaks bring down the overall burden, at least for many businesses and special interests. The aim is to shed at least a few of the tax breaks and use that now newly available money to lower income tax rates. Leadership’s other big want is more funding for roads and bridges – secured and recurring year after year. The state is running a $14 billion backlog on infrastructure upkeep. Various ways to pay for catching up have been floated throughout the session. The latest idea advanced on Monday when the Senate approved gradually redirecting about $375 million per year in sales tax revenue from the sale of cars and trucks to help construct a new bridge across the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge and other projects. The measure now returns to the House, where it faces an uncertain future. Louisiana lawmakers have sent Edwards legislation that would eliminate the possibility of jail time for possession of small amounts of marijuana, a sharp change in the state’s historically hard stance against the drug. Meanwhile, there’s still a pandemic to contend with, though with increased vaccinations the numbers have fallen dramatically. However, Louisiana has among the nation’s fewest number of residents willing to get the life-saving jab. Gov. Edwards unveiled a raft of incentives as part of a month-long push to entice more people in Louisiana to get vaccinated. The state is now offering several new perks, including free admission to state parks and historic sites and a complimentary drink at certain restaurants and bars. Continual coverage, all day long, of the Louisiana Legislature is available online using this link: https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/ 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 | 
