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BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
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F r i d ay, F e b r u a ry 21, 2025
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Landry proposes ‘standstill’ budget Uncertainty about revenue clouds situation
BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN and PATRICK WALL
tion as it prepares its budget for the next fiscal year. “We normally know how much Staff writers we have to spend right now, and As President Donald Trump’s we don’t, and we won’t until May, administration considers slashing said Taylor Barras, the commisfederal funding, and as Louisiana sioner of administration and Gov. waits to see if voters will approve Jeff Landry’s top budget official. a constitutional amendment to Though it’s normal for the rewrite the tax code, uncertainty state’s revenue forecast to change clouds the state’s financial situa- through the spring, the added wild
cards could spell a tumultuous regular session for legislators, who must set the state budget by June. But for now, Landry’s administration has proposed what it calls a “standstill” budget, keeping state spending as close to last year’s levels as possible. Total spending — including state and federal funds — would hover around $45 billion, decreasing by about 1%.
State spending would decrease from about $23.3 billion to about $22.2 billion, according to official estimates. In a video address released this week, Landry said the budget “continues the trend of decreasing the overall amount of money we spend” and is “a tremendous step forward for fiscal responsibility.” The proposal does not mean agencies across the board would have the same amount of money to spend as last year. Instead, some
agencies would see budget reductions, while others would see budget increases. The state has only so much discretion in determining how to use what’s in its coffers. By law, it must fund certain obligations, such as contractual payments and pay raises for civil service workers. Officials from the Division of Administration on Thursday presented
ä See BUDGET, page 9A
Trump eyes cuts to staff in disaster recovery Louisiana likely to see fallout in future funding BY MIKE SMITH Staff writer
A reported plan by the Trump administration to cut staff at the federal office that oversees long-term disaster recovery money may hold major implications for Louisiana, which has received the highest level of such funding in the nation over the past couple decades. The plan reported by The New York Times on Thursday could nearly eliminate the office that oversees that money, the Office of Community Planning and Development within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Staff there would be cut by 84%, going from a team of 936 to 150. If the plan is enacted, it is unclear how the billions that flow through the office would be distributed and if there would be larger changes to
STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD
Since 2021, Louisiana has been allocated $21 billion through the federal long-term disaster recovery program to help residents in the aftermath of multiple natural disasters. ä See DISASTER, page 7A
‘Wrong place at the wrong time’ Plumber studying civil engineering killed in crossfire BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer
After working as a plumber for nearly a decade, Trevor Harrison had saved up enough money to study civil engineering and computer pipe design and drafting at ITI Technical College in Baton Rouge. With only a few days of classes left, the 27-year-old had high hopes for a career in technology or engineering. “You walk into his room and there were electronics everywhere,” his mother Anna Harrison said. “His engineer brain was just constantly going.” Unfortunately, her son’s life was abruptly cut short on the night of Feb. 15, while Harrison was in the Eden Park neighborhood doing plumbing work. At about 7:30 p.m. after getting supplies from a local store to finish the job, he unwittingly drove into a barrage of bullets as he arrived
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spokesperson, said someone was shooting at another person and a stray bullet hit Harrison. “It could have happened to anybody.” said Travis Harrison, Trevor’s father. “Anybody could have been there at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Adored his Chevy truck Trevor had spent the past year living at home and doing handyman work to help pay his tuition. “He was just that perfect universal person that you wanted PROVIDED PHOTO around your crowd,” his mother said. Trevor Harrison, 27, was an In many ways, his 12-year-old easygoing guy, and a ‘universal Chevy truck fit his easygoing person that you wanted around personality. your crowd,’ his mother said. “Just a simple truck, but he loved that thing,” she said. Now Trevor’s parents have at the house. Three of the bullets struck his been thrust into making funeral Chevrolet Silverado 1500 truck, arrangements, while having difincluding one that went through ficult discussions with law enthe driver’s side window, striking forcement, media and commuHarrison. He was pronounced nity leaders. dead on the scene. “Our brains are just scattered Baton Rouge police are investi- all over the place,” Travis Hargating the circumstances of the rison said. “We’ve had our good shooting. moments, and we’ve had the L’Jean McKneely, a Baton ä See WRONG, page 7A Rouge Police Department
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE
Kash Patel was confirmed as director of the FBI by the Senate on Thursday.
Senate confirms Patel as director of the FBI BY ERIC TUCKER
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday narrowly voted to confirm Kash Patel as director of the FBI, moving to place him atop the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency despite doubts from Democrats about his qualifications and concerns he will do
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Donald Trump’s bidding and go after the Republican president’s adversaries. “I cannot imagine a worse choice,” U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told colleagues before the 51-49 vote by the GOP-controlled Senate. Sens. Susan Collins, of Maine; and Lisa Murkowski, of
ä See PATEL, page 9A
100TH yEAR, NO. 236