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T h u r s d ay, M a r c h 13, 2025
STATE OF THE PARISH
Boulet outlines priorities for future
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Speaker gets help passing funding legislation
Johnson, Scalise credit Trump for role on continuing resolution BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer
WASHINGTON — For the second time in as many weeks, House Speaker Mike Johnson succeeded in wrangling his narrow and often dysfunctional Republican House majority into passing legislation sought by President Donald Trump. Johnson, R-Benton, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, said Trump personally played a big ä Military role in accomplishing both leg- leaders warn islative wins. of risks to Tuesday’s successful effort to armed forces’ approve a resolution that would readiness in avert a government shutdown noticeably lacked the frenetic temporary arm twisting and finger-pointing funding bill. witnessed on the chamber floor PAGE 2A Feb. 25 that secured just enough support for Trump’s “one big beautiful” budget bill. By contrast, Tuesday’s “continuing resolution,” which authorizes government spending from Saturday until Sept. 30, was relatively relaxed. “You see President Trump pushing, as well as all of us in our House leadership, to get this bill passed,” said Scalise.
ä See SPEAKER, page 4A
STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK
Lafayette Mayor-President Monique Boulet leads a standing ovation to honor attending family members of Lafayette Police Sr. Cpl. Segus Jolivette, who was killed in the line of duty, as she delivers her address during the State of the Parish 2025 Business Luncheon on Wednesday.
Lafayette mayor-president targets slumlords, drainage BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer
Lafayette Mayor-President Monique Boulet in her State of the Parish address on Wednesday outlined her priorities for 2025 and beyond, including cracking down on slumlords, moving ahead with stalled drainage projects and working with state officials to remove $27 million in inventory taxes on businesses. The sold-out State of the Parish event at the Cajundome Convention Center was Boulet’s first since taking office in January 2024. In 2025, Boulet said, the public will see stronger enforcement of community development and planning regulations, including addressing
rundown properties that are a haven for the homeless and drug activities. “If you are a slumlord,” she said, “we ask that you start cleaning up your property. We are coming to make your life harder.” For several years the city has cracked down on dilapidated properties that attract crime and homeless people, creating an adjudication process to condemn the structures. On Tuesday, the City Council introduced ordinances to condemn nine properties for being dilapidated and dangerous to the public. Also in 2025, Boulet said she will continue to make drainage a priority. That will include reorganizing how Lafayette Consolidated Government plans for and manages flood risks,
Landry: ‘Time to get back to work’ Changes expected for remote state workers
BY ALYSE PFEIL
which currently is handled by three different departments. Construction will resume this year on two stalled drainage projects, the Homewood Detention Ponds Project and the Coulee Ile des Cannes Project, Boulet said. The projects were stalled because, under previous Mayor-President Josh Guillory, construction was started without proper federal permits. In February, LCG canceled a contract signed under Guillory with McBade Engineers & Consultants of Youngsville alleging the company failed to live up to the terms of the Homewood contract dated May 12, 2021, and amended on Dec. 30, 2021,
Gov. Jeff Landry on Tuesday said he is readying an executive order that would require state employees who work remotely to return to the office. Landry briefly mentioned the plan at the Tchefuncta Country Club during a keynote address to the PAC that supports the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce. “I’ve been pushing my cabinet secretaries to make sure that our people are going back to work,” he said. “And I can tell you in the next 30 days or so, we’re going to sign an executive order telling everybody, ‘It’s time to get back to work.’ ” The room erupted in applause in response to the remark. Landry didn’t elaborate on details of the planned executive order and did not respond to a request
ä See BOULET, page 5A
ä See REMOTE, page 5A
Staff writer
Trump vows to take back ‘stolen’ wealth as tariffs go into effect Trump removed all exemptions Republican president’s use President increases ofThe tariffs to extract concessions from his 2018 tariffs on the metother nations points toward als, in addition to increasing the tariffs on all steel and from a possibly destructive trade war tariffs on aluminum from 10%. aluminum imports and a stark change in America’s His moves, based off a February
approach to global leadership. It also has destabilized the stock market and stoked anxiety about an economic downturn. Associated Press “The United States of America WASHINGTON — President Donald is going to take back a lot of what Trump openly challenged U.S. al- was stolen from it by other counlies on Wednesday by increasing tries and, frankly, by incompetariffs on all steel and aluminum tent U.S. leadership,” Trump told imports to 25% as he vowed to reporters on Wednesday. “We’re take back wealth “stolen” by other going to take back our wealth, and countries, drawing quick retalia- we’re going to take back a lot of the companies that left.” tion from Europe and Canada.
BY JOSH BOAK, PAUL WISEMAN and ROB GILLIES
WEATHER HIGH 82 LOW 62 PAGE 6A
directive, are part of a broader effort to disrupt and transform global commerce. He has separate tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, with plans to also tax imports from the European Union, Brazil and South Korea by charging “reciprocal” rates starting on April 2. The EU announced its own countermeasures Wednesday. Euro-
ä See TARIFFS, page 4A
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Ireland’s Prime Minister Taoiseach Micheál Martin is greeted by President Donald Trump as he arrives at the White House on Wednesday. ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BEN CURTIS
100TH yEAR, NO. 256