SOVEREIGNTY WINS 151ST RUNNING OF THE KENTUCKY DERBY 1C
ADVOCATE THE
T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
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S u n d ay, M ay 4, 2025
$2.50X
ELECTION 2025
‘HE’S JUST THAT KID’
Voters reject DA’s property tax Proposal would have increased funding for EBR’s office BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER | Staff writer
From plate lunchess to prime time, John Foster takess his Cajun rootss to Hollywood BY JAN RISHER | Staff writeer
On any given Monday, the daily lunch special at Benoit’s Country C Meat Block in Addis is mea atloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, green reen beans and dessert for $10.99, but these days, every plate lunch comes with a heaping side of John Foster pride. Located, as the crow flies, about a half mile from the Mississippi River, Benoit’s Country Meat Block’s roots are deep in Cajun country. The store is owned by ”American Idol” sensation John Foster’s family, whose grandparents hail from Church Point and Lawtell. When Foster showed up for his “American Idol” audition in Nashville, he brought care packages of boudin, Benoit’s seasoning and beef jerky from his family’s business in Addis, where they sell the full range of Cajun delicacies: hog head cheese, tasso, hot tamales, three types of gumbo, grillades, alligator and 78 other items. “John Foster loves the beef jerky,” his grandmother, Verbie
Louisiana’s John Foster takes the stage on ‘American Idol’ on Monday before finding out he had made the singing competition series’ top 10. PROVIDED PHOTO By ERIC McCANDLESS
ä See FOSTER, page 6A
Voters in East Baton Rouge Parish shot down District Attorney Hillar Moore’s pleas for increased funding Saturday night, rejecting his proposal for a new property tax. The measure failed by a margin of 60% to 40%. The tax would have raised $24 million a year and cost the average household in the parish roughly $5 a month. It would have boosted the district attorney’s budget from about $16 mil- Moore lion to roughly $24 million. “We’re disappointed, but we INSIDE respect voters just like we respect the juries when they don’t ä Election come back in our favor,” Moore results for the said. “I think the city, the residents, the entire parish, are wea- Baton Rouge ry of elections, weary of taxes. area. PAGE 15A I think some parts, maybe more than others, feel that they are al- ä GOP ready paying enough taxes that candidates should support the offices.” Moore argued that his district, sweep which covers the most populous runoffs as parish in Louisiana, was under- St. George’s funded compared to the next first elected two largest parishes, Jefferson City Council and Orleans. District attorneys there operate on budgets of $24 is set. PAGE 1B million and $22 million, allowing them to employ 20-30 more pros- ä Terry ecutors. Landry Jr. With the measure failing, wins Baton Moore said he has no other option but to continue asking for Rouge-area more money from city-parish seat in the government, which contributed Louisiana about $8.7 million to the district House. attorney for 2025. PAGE 1B Despite asking for a budget increase going into the year, Moore’s office got less than they asked for, largely because of sweeping budget cuts due to lost sales tax revenue after the incorporation of St. George.
ä See TAX, page 4A
Hospitals in Louisiana fear potential cut to Medicaid Congress debates changes to provider taxes
A group of 20 impact on Louisiana, which has conservatives, inone of the highest rates of residents on the program. cluding Rep. Clay Conservative lawmakers say Higgins, R-Lafayprovider taxes are artificially ette, demanded in inflating how much the federal a letter Thursday government pays and should be that Congress BY MARK BALLARD | Staff writer halted. But Louisiana health care “address the money launderWASHINGTON — As Republicans in leaders fear stopping the taxes Higgins Congress debate potential cuts or could leave many people, particuing.” They are rechanges to Medicaid, one propos- larly in rural areas, without good ferring to provider taxes, which states impose on hospitals, nursal could have a particularly large health care coverage.
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Initially approved by Congress in 1991, provider taxes have become a conservative cause célèbre. Restricting provider taxes could save the federal government $600 billion over the next decade, according to the Paragon Health Institute, a conservative think tank, citing estimates from several organizations.
ä See MEDICAID, page 8A
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ing homes, clinics and other facilities. The federal government pays most of the costs of Medicaid, with the states kicking in part. When states use provider fees to increase how much they pay for Medicaid, that means the federal share of funding increases. The state then pays the providers who are taxed to administer Medicaid services.
S HOP M OT H E R ’ S DAY G I FT S