Parkinson signs legislation to boost fines for speeding

? Speeders and other traffic scofflaws will face higher fines in Kansas beginning in July.

Gov. Mark Parkinson signed legislation Monday boosting the fines by $15. That means a driver caught exceeding the speed limit by up to 10 mph will be fined $45 instead of the current $30.

The higher fines are expected to raise about $2 million a year for the state.

The Kansas Department of Corrections will get about $1.3 million of the total. The agency will use the money for substance abuse programs for inmates, which have been hit hard by budget cuts.

About $700,000 will go for improvements to the secure computer system used by law enforcement agencies to track and trade information about criminals’ past activities.