ADVOCATE THE
T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
|
F r i d ay, M ay 2, 2025
$2.00X
EAST BATON ROUGE
Parish leaders back tax to fund DA Moore: Money needed to tackle BR crime problems
BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writer
At the top of many ballots in East Baton Rouge Parish on Saturday is a new property tax carrying major implications for the parish’s financial future. With election day approaching, District Attorney Hillar Moore is receiving a surge of vocal support from parish officials for the tax proposal, which would significantly boost his budget and expand city-parish funding if approved. The new tax would provide about $24 million annually to fund East Baton Rouge’s district attorney, bringing the office up to par Moore with their counterparts in Orleans and Jefferson parishes, the secondand third-most populous in the state behind East Baton Rouge. Several officials have vocally endorsed the measure over the past weeks, including East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sid Edwards, Sheriff Sid Gautreaux, a handful of police chiefs in the parish and District 12 Metro Council member Jen Racca.
DIP AND DASH ABOVE: Students hold onto their pool floats Thursday as they swim during the annual end of year East Ascension High School pond jump. The tradition takes place after seniors finish their final tests. LEFT: Students begin to make their way to land after the dip.
ä See TAX, page 4A
Trump taps Waltz for U.N. position
STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS
BY ZEKE MILLER, AAMER MADHANI, SEUNG MIN KIM and FARNOUSH AMIRI
Health measures advance rapidly at Capitol Pro-ivermectin, anti-fluoride bills sailing through amid MAHA push
BY ALYSE PFEIL
2025 LEGISLATURE ä Dentists critical of move to ban fluoride. PAGE 4A
The proposed changes are linked to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who this year was appointed to Bills to ban fluoride in the run the nation’s health departstate’s public water systems and ment under President Donald make ivermectin available over Trump. the counter have so far advanced And they come as some Reswiftly through the Louisiana publican state lawmakers and Legislature, easily passing the officials across the country hitch Republican-controlled Senate. their wagons to Kennedy’s Make
Staff writer
WEATHER HIGH 87 LOW 66 PAGE 8B
America Healthy Again movement. Louisiana Surgeon General Dr. Ralph Abraham, the state’s top public health official and a vocal backer of Kennedy’s health agenda, lobbied for both bills during public testimony before the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. Abraham He said both are “patient freedom” issues. “Putting a chemical in the water without the patient’s consent
Associated Press
is problematic for me as a physician,” Abraham said of proposed water fluoridation ban. Both bills advanced out of the Senate committee on a partyline vote, with its six Republican members voting yes and three Democratic members voting no. The full Senate passed the bills nearly along partisan lines, with just a few members breaking ranks. The measures now head to the House, which is also controlled by a Republican supermajority.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is nominating national security adviser Mike Waltz as United Nations ambassador while Secretary of State Marco Rubio would take over Waltz’s duties on an interim role. He announced the major shake-up of his national Waltz security team shortly after news broke that Waltz and his deputy are leaving the administration. Waltz has been under scrutiny for weeks after reporting from The Atlantic that he had mistakenly added the magazine’s editorin-chief to a Signal chat being used to discuss military plans.
ä See BILLS, page 4A
ä See WALTZ, page 4A
Business ......................3B Commentary ................7B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................7D Deaths .........................4B Opinion ........................6B Comics-Puzzles .....4D-6D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
100TH yEAR, NO. 306
She Won’t Believe Her Ears... this Mother’s Day This year present her with the perfect gift of round diamond Solataire earrins in 14k. With our exceptional quality and prices you’ll find that they’re perfect. Our earrings are always upgradeable.
Diamond Solitaire Earrings
.50 cttw $595 1.50 cttw $2,695 .75 cttw $975 2.00 cttw $5,675 1.00 cttw $1,495 3.00 cttw $9,975 4.00 cttw $19,975
y r’s Da Mothe , May 11th
ay Saturd
Creating Memories...Now and Forever 10675 Coursey Blvd. (225) 291-1919 www.antonsfinejewelry.com Monday-Friday 10am - 6pm Saturday 10am-5pm