TRUMP DEPLOYS MARINES, TO INCREASE NATIONAL GUARD IN L.A. 2A
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T u e s d ay, J u n e 10, 2025
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Charity Hospital project gets city funds Council commits $20M toward redevelopment effort by Tulane BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer
Tulane University took a key step last week toward the redevelopment of Charity Hospital, agreeing to a deal with the New Orleans City Council that will commit $20 million in city funds for the ambitious project.
But the university still has more hurdles ahead as it seeks to bring the hulking building back to life. With two days left in the legislative session, no state funds have been earmarked for the project, which is now expected to cost at least $650 million. Tulane did not move forward with a $30 million ”placeholder” request for
construction funds that it sought last year, though state lawmakers could still set aside money for Charity in any number of other ways. The university is trying to rescue the long-stalled effort to convert the 1-million-square-foot landmark on Tulane Avenue into a mixed-use building with labs,
nounced it had secured a commitment of funds from the city. In a brief statement, it said it had medical offices, apartments and reached a settlement in a longretail space that would anchor the running legal fight over the Wisbiomedical district and Tulane’s ner Trust, a century-old trust that growing downtown campus. included Tulane among its benefiTulane President Michael Fitts ciaries and generated hundreds of has said it will take city, state and thousands of dollars a year for the federal funds, as well as a host of university. other public and private sources, According to three sources to make that happen. ä See CHARITY, page 5A Late Friday, the university an-
2025 LEGISLATURE
Senate adds $1.2B to budget
Inventory tax credit extension killed
BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer
Senate made to the budget as it passed a flurry of amendments on the floor on Monday. The legislative session is scheduled to end Thursday. The budget package, which consists of multiple bills, now returns to the House for approval. If the House does not sign off on the amendments, the Legislature may need to extend the session. Henry said he hopes the House concurs with the amendments, adding that the
The state Senate is killing the extension of a tax break sought by business groups that would have cost taxpayers $200 million over three years. That means the long-standing inventory tax credit will expire in 2026 as previously approved. Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, and Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration said extending the tax break a year was too expensive. Rep. Ken Brass, D-Vacherie, sponsored the one-year extension, House Bill 383, which passed the House 98-4. Pushing for the extension were the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, the Louisiana Chemical Association and the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association. Created in the early 1990s under then-Gov. Buddy Roemer, the inventory tax credit aimed to assist businesses that paid the inventory tax. The tax and tax credit work in a convoluted fashion. Under the current system, parishes levy a property tax every year on business inventory in the parish. Businesses pay the tax but then turn around and receive a tax credit for that payment from the state. As a part of a wholesale revision of the tax code in November, legislators and Landry repealed the inventory tax credit as of July 1, 2026. But that was supposed to happen in conjunction with the passage of a proposed constitutional amendment that, among other changes, would give each parish the right to opt out of the
ä See BUDGET, page 7A
ä See INVENTORY, page 5A
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
Senators work during Monday’s session of the Legislature.
Money designated for infrastructure, colleges, other initiatives BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer
The Louisiana Senate on Monday added $1.2 billion in one-time spending to the state government’s budget for the coming fiscal year, allocating money to roads and bridges, economic development incentives to attract businesses, and improvements to college campuses, among other new initiatives. That money comes from the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund, a savings ac-
count that consists of extra corporate and severance tax collections. It holds $3.9 billion, according to Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie. “What we’re doing today changes the overall budget climate in our state in terms of workforce investment, economic development advancement and infrastructure improvements. It sets the stage for a better tomorrow,” Henry said in a statement. Drawing $1.2 billion from the fund appeared to be the biggest change the
‘An evolution, not a renaissance’ Cajun, zydeco music bring national media attention to La.
BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer
When “60 Minutes” came to the Lafayette area last fall to film a segment on Cajun and zydeco music, they were confronted with the energy of a thriving cultural scene. CBS correspondent Jon Wert-
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heim remarked that the sounds of southwest Louisiana were experiencing a “most unlikely renaissance,” in the “60 Minutes” episode that aired on May 18. Seeing acts like Jourdan Thibodeaux, Chubby Carrier and Lil’ Nate Williams attract crowds of eager fans to local watering holes, Wertheim noted that Acadiana feels like a place apart, where Cajun and zydeco music sets the rhythm of life — instead of being relegated to the history bin. That immediacy, and the vibrancy with which fans and artists con-
tinue to engage with the region’s folk traditions, is largely thanks to how Cajun and zydeco music and performance have evolved through the years — in addition to a multidecade effort to promote the region’s music in Louisiana and beyond, according to experts. “We live for moments like this, when we see our culture represented anywhere — nationally and internationally. It’s what we all work so hard for,” said Cynthia Simien, wife of zydeco star and
STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE
Jourdan Thibodeaux, left, and Cedric Watson perform as Jourdan Thibodeaux et Les Rôdailleurs at Festival International de Louisiane in ä See EVOLUTION, page 7A 2024 in Lafayette.
Business ......................6A Commentary ................5B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................7D Deaths .........................3B Opinion ........................4B Comics-Puzzles .....3D-6D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
12TH yEAR, NO. 302