The rift between Shreveport Republican Senator Alan Seabaugh and GOP Governor Jeff Landry widens after Seabaugh tells KEEL Radio that Landry is not doing a good job as governor. Jeff Palermo reports.
Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”
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One of the biggest questions surrounding the tax and spending bill that President Trump signed last week is what will happen to rural hospitals. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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The MLB Draft begins Sunday night, and three LSU pitchers are hoping to hear their names called early. Kace Kieschnick has more.
Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”
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An outspoken GOP lawmaker in north Louisiana says Republican Governor Jeff Landry has been a huge disappointment. Shreveport Senator Alan Seabaugh made that statement on KEEL Radio. A rift between Landry and Seabaugh has been growing since last year, and Seabaugh says it got more personal after the governor used his line-item veto power to scrap funding for four projects in his district.
Seabaugh is one of several Republican lawmakers who were on the wrong end of governor’s veto pen for funding of local projects. The governor said funding for some of the projects was removed because the construction budget was over-funded. But the Republican legislators who lost funding for their district also voted against an insurance reform bill supported by the governor.
Seabaugh says he had a lot of hope when Landry was sworn in, but he’s no longer a fan.
Cut 5 (11) “…huge disappointment.”
Landry’s spokeswoman, Kate Kelly, says during the regular session, the governor focused on passing real reforms that will move the state forward and the results were historical.
But Seabaugh questions why the governor would take away funding for a road project to make it safer to enter and exit Parkway High School in Bossier City.
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The tax and spending bill will mean more money for Louisiana for coastal protection and restoration projects. Neal McMillan, the director of federal affairs of the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources, says Louisiana will get an additional 50-million dollars a year.
Cut 7 (07) “…lifting the cap.”
The cap McMillan is referring to is the 500-million dollars of offshore oil and gas revenue shared among the four Gulf states for coastal projects. McMillan says that cap will now be lifted to 650-million dollars.
Cut 8 (08) “…than that limitation.”
McMillan says there’s a wide range of projects that money can be used for.
Cut 9 (16) “…projects as well.”
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One of the biggest conversations coming out of the tax cuts and spending bill that President Trump just signed is the fate of rural hospitals. Democrats in Louisiana have been sounding the alarm, saying that 33 rural hospitals across the state will close as a result of cuts to Medicaid. During a press conference at Louisiana Democratic Party headquarters, Rustin Loyd, a nurse from Hammond and a former hospital administrator, says those closures will cost lives.
Loyd says closures to rural hospitals will have a profound effect on hospitals in urban areas.
Cut 11 (10) “…more people dying.”
But Mark Ballard, who covered the hearings on Capitol Hill for The Advocate, told Jim Engster on Talk Louisiana that one important thing to note is that the Medicaid cuts don’t happen for another two to three years, and hospitals and medical providers are confident that they can get Congress to reconsider those cuts before they take effect.
Cut 12 (08) “…the state treasurer.”
Ballard says only at that time would we start to see any impacts from Medicaid cuts, should they ever occur.
Furthermore, the bill also sets up a 50-billion-dollar fund to help struggling rural hospitals.
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The MLB Draft gets underway in Atlanta this weekend. LSU is sure to have several names come off the board following their national championship-winning season. D1 Baseball analyst Aaron Fitt expects pitcher Kade Anderson to go first overall to the Nationals. He says he’s already the best pitcher in college baseball.
Anderson’s pitching partner, right-hander Anthony Eyanson, is another top-50 prospect. After transferring from UC San Diego, his stock skyrocketed after a dominant season in Baton Rouge, and Fitt says it might not be done rising.
Many Tigers will be faced with the tough decisions of beginning their MLB careers or returning to Baton Rouge to improve their draft stock and defend their national title. Junior D-H Ethan Frey hit .331 in his first full season but hasn’t had a chance to show off his fielding ability. While Tigers fans hope to see him back in purple and gold, Fitt isn’t holding his breath.