Potential federal cuts in Medicaid could have devastating effects here in Louisiana. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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Federal and state authorities arrested 84 undocumented immigrants yesterday at Delta Downs Racetrack in Calcasieu Parish during a worksite enforcement operation. Sean Richardson has more.
Cut 2 (28) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”
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The Louisiana Motor Transport Association says progress on legal reform was made in the legislative session, but more work needs to be done. Executive Director Renee Amar (AY-mar) says she hopes in future sessions lawmakers address outstanding issues, including transparency in medical billing.
Cut 3 (11) “…the insurance market.”
Amar says legislation is also needed to eliminate phantom damages, and pervasive fraud that distorts claims and inflates costs.
Amar says one bill that passed that she wishes that didn’t was the one that gives the insurance commissioner the authority to reject insurance rate increases regardless of market conditions. She says that could drive insurance companies out of the state altogether – and trucking companies could follow suit.
Cut 4 (12) “…rates in half.”
Amar says the LMTA will continue to push for a cap on damages in an effort to lower insurance rates.
Cut 5 (14) “…State of Louisiana.”
Among the bills Amar says she’s glad were passed were one that stipulates that a driver at least 51-percent at fault in a crash cannot collect any damages and one that limits damages that an uninsured driver can collect.
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A recent study shows that if you want Gulf Shrimp in Alexandria its about a 50/50 chance. SeaD (“seed”) Consulting Co-Founder Erin Williams says 24 restaurants were tested that advertised Authentic Gulf Coast Shrimp and 13 of those were serving imported shrimp.
Cut 6 (11) “…Gulf Shrimp.”
Williams says SeaD Consulting partnered with Florida State University to develop the Rapid ID Genetic High-Accuracy Test that delivers species results from raw, cooked, or frozen shrimp in two hours.
Cut 7 (08) “…and reliable test.”
It’s illegal in Louisiana to mislabel the origin of seafood. Violators face significant financial penalties. Founder Dave Williams says even with Louisiana’s strict mislabeling laws there still needs to be more enforcement.
Cut 8 (08) “…what we do.”
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Governor Jeff Landry signed a bill into law that authorizes state and local law enforcement to actively intercept and disable drones that pose credible threats to public safety. GOHSEP Executive Officer of Security and Interoperability Thomas Mule (MUE-lay) says this is a public safety and homeland security issue.
Cut 9 (12) …nefarious drones.”
The law empowers specifically trained officers to deploy both kinetic and non-kinetic technology to neutralize drones operating unlawfully near high-risk areas such as schools, public events, and critical infrastructure.
The legislation comes amid rising national concern over unauthorized drone activity near sensitive locations. Mule says there are more than two-thousand critical infrastructure facilities in the state, including two nuclear power plants.
Cut 10 (07) “…those facilities.”
Governor Jeff Landry says recently law enforcement arrested several people for using drones to drop drugs and cell phones into a federal prison in Grant Parish.
Cut 11 (06) “…action against it.”
Penalties for violators include fines of up to five-thousand-dollars, up to one year in jail, and mandatory forfeiture of the drone used in the offense.
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A stark warning from Senate President Cameron Henry on federal Medicaid funding. During a webinar hosted by the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, the Republican from Metairie says due to changes the Senate is considering on President Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” Louisiana could be in for a huge loss.
Cut 12 (09) “…to the state.”
Speaker Henry says if that happens, it would be back to the drawing board for state lawmakers who just got done hashing out a budget for the 2026 fiscal year.
Cut 13 (07) “…to do it.”
Henry says he has been in close contact with Senator Bill Cassidy and Congressman Steve Scalise, and he says he hopes cooler heads will ultimately prevail in Washington.
Cut 14 (08) “…our delegation for.”
About 35-percent of Louisiana residents rely on Medicaid for health insurance. Louisiana spends about 15-billion dollars a year on Medicaid, with federal money accounting for more than two-thirds of that amount.