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M o n d ay, a p r i l 28, 2025
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Doctor’s push to raise smoking taxes ends in mixed bag
FEST THINGS IN LIFE
Stephen Kantrow wants to keep vapes, cigarettes away from kids BY TYLER BRIDGES
Staff writer
ABOVE: Members of Mixanteña de Santa Cecilia perform at Scene International as Festival International de Louisiane nears its conclusion in downtown Lafayette on Sunday. TOP: Louis Michot, of Lost Bayou Ramblers, performs at Scene Fais Do Do on Sunday. LEFT: Children cool off in the fountain at Parc Sans Souci during the festival. STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD BOWIE
Dr. Stephen Kantrow remained in his seat as everyone else got up. The House Ways and Means Committee had just completed a hearing on Tuesday where it narrowly approved a tax increase on vaping and rejected a tax hike on cigarettes. Kantrow, a pulmonologist, had come to the State Capitol from New Orleans to offer his perspective from treating smokers for 30 years, including those in their dying days. For Kantrow, vapes present a major problem because nearly one-third of high school students in Louisiana use them. But to him, cigarettes represent Kantrow the bigger public health threat — and the bigger opportunity for the public good. Yet many of the Republican committee members doubted his view that the tax increases would reduce tobacco usage, save lives and reduce state spending on tobaccorelated costs. As he drove to Baton Rouge on Tuesday morning, he was thinking that he’d like to be a resource to lawmakers and better understand how they make decisions. But it turns out that, even before he arrived, Kantrow would be facing tough odds. The tobacco industry was working with convenience store owners to get Republican legislators to kill the cigarette tax increase. Meanwhile, the vape tax increase stood a good chance of passage because it had the support of Gov. Jeff Landry, and it was less objectionable to the tobacco companies and convenience store owners. They had already begun discussions with lawmakers about watering down the bill if it had to be passed. Landry backed the bill, lobbyists said,
ä See SMOKING, page 4A
Lake Charles amphitheater project divides mayoral candidates have led Incumbent champions lakefront to a dividing line in the upcoming growth but mayoral runoff. challenger says it Mayor Nic Hunter, the two-term won’t get support incumbent, an-
nounced plans late last year to build a Hunter new amphitheater Staff writer on the property where the dilapiAfter the demolition of the Capi- dated skyscraper had served as tal One tower in downtown Lake a visual reminder of the damage Charles, questions about how the that Hurricane Laura inflicted on city can best use the site along the the community. The building was
BY MEGAN WYATT
WEATHER HIGH 86 LOW 68 PAGE 10C
imploded last September. But Marshall Simien Jr., who is facing Hunter in a runoff Saturday, has challenged why the city would Simien want to give up property and sales tax revenue that could be generated by private investment at the site. The debate has served as a stark point of opposition between the
two candidates, and also raised concerns about whether Lake Charles can support two amphitheaters and how the city can best spend limited resources. The city already owns an amphitheater less than half a mile from the planned project. The existing Arcade Amphitheatre overlooks the lake with a simple stage, a grassy hill and enough space for about 1,500 people. It was built with private investments in 1990, then donated to the city. It’s most frequently booked for
Classified .....................4B Living............................5C Nation-World ................2A Comics-Puzzles .....7C-9C Lottery ..........................4B Opinion ........................2B Commentary ................3B Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C
smaller fundraising events, especially 5K races, and is home to a few larger community events, such as the Live on the Lakefront concert series and the Louisiana Pirate Festival. Over the past 10 years, the Arcade Amphitheatre has booked 255 events, and the city has collected about $240,000 in rental fees. They waived rental fees for 66 events. Although the existing amphitheater has minimal expenses related
ä See PROJECT, page 5A
100TH yEAR, NO. 302