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Senate’s bill changes raise alarm State hospitals warn of jeopardizing services
BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer
WASHINGTON — Representatives of Louisiana’s largest hospitals converged Tuesday on Capitol Hill after a Senate committee released its recommendations to squeeze more spending cuts out of Medicaid than the House did in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Louisiana’s hospitals are still
evaluating the suggested Medicaid cuts, but a first read of the 549page bill released Monday night is not optimistic, said Paul A. Salles, president and chief executive officer of the Louisiana Hospital Association. “Unlike the House bill, which takes a more balanced approach to controlling Medicaid spending, the new proposal from the Senate Finance Committee includes
devastating reductions that could jeopardize rural access, medical education and essential services such as maternity care, children’s services, behavioral health and access to specialty care for patients across Louisiana,” Salles said Tuesday. The legislation, which includes most of President Donald Trump’s domestic agenda, cleared the House by a single vote. It would
cut spending over the next 10 years by $1.6 trillion, mostly from Medicaid reductions, but add $2.4 trillion to the national debt, mostly from tax breaks. An estimated 10 million people would no longer be able to enroll in the state-federal program that pays for health care services for low-income Americans, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Senators promised significant changes to the House-passed bill. Their suggestions go much further on Medicaid than the House
Trump calls for Iran surrender
Israel says top Iranian general killed in latest round of attacks
by cracking down on strategies states have used to raise more money for their share of Medicaid, which brings in more federal “match” dollars. That would have the effect of transferring the costs from taxpayers around the country to just those in a state. Officials from Louisiana’s largest health systems gave U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy an earful Tuesday morning, both Cassidy and hospital administrators in attendance
ä See SENATE, page 4A
Miguez to take on Cassidy for Senate GOP state senator from New Iberia claims to be ‘the MAGA choice’
BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
Smoke rises from the building of Iran’s state-run television after an Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, on Monday. BY JOSEPH KRAUSS, JON GAMBRELL and NATALIE MELZER Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Israel claimed Tuesday to have killed a top Iranian general as it traded more strikes with its longtime foe, and U.S. President Donald Trump warned Tehran’s residents to evacuate while demanding that Iran surrender without conditions. Trump left the Group of Seven summit in Canada a day early to deal with the conflict between Israel and Iran, telling reporters: “I’m not looking at a ceasefire. We’re looking at better than a ceasefire.” When asked to explain, he said the U.S. wanted to see “a real end” to the conflict that could involve Iran “giving up
entirely.” He added: “I’m not too much in the mood to negotiate.” Later on social media, he warned Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that the U.S. knows where he is hiding and called for Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.” It was not clear whether that was a suggestion for Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. Trump posted that there were no plans to kill Khamenei “at least not for now.” Despite warning that U.S. “patience is wearing thin,” he indicated that diplomatic talks remained an option, and said he could send Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with the Iranians. Iran offered no immediate
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while flying aboard Air Force One en route from Calgary, Canada, to Joint ä See TRUMP, page 5A Base Andrews, Md., on Monday.
Louisiana state Sen. Blake Miguez, R-New Iberia, announced his candidacy Tuesday for U.S. Senate, with an opening salvo targeting Republican incumbent Bill Cassidy’s vote to convict President Donald Trump during his 2021 impeachment trial. The initial frames of a video announcing Miguez’s run for office show Cassidy labeled as a “RINO” — Republican in Name Only — as he says, “I voted to convict President Trump.” Then, Miguez Miguez appears and says, “I’m running for the U.S. Senate because Bill Cassidy sucks.” He also touts his deep Louisiana roots and showcases his skills as a competitive shooter, wielding various firearms throughout the video to metaphorically target concepts conservatives oppose, like “Marxism.” Miguez is also branding himself as “the MAGA choice” for the U.S. Senate. At the State Capitol, he has championed some hallmark conservative causes, including gun rights and anti-immigration policies. He’s spearheaded Louisiana’s passage of permitless concealed carry laws and last year sponsored
ä See MIGUEZ, page 4A
Short-term property owners file lawsuit over Lafayette rental rules BY CLAIRE TAYLOR
Staff writer
Two Lafayette property owners filed a federal lawsuit Monday challenging a city ordinance that prohibits short-term rentals such as Airbnbs in areas zoned for single-family residences and seeking an injunction prohibiting the city from enforcing the ordinance against their properties.
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Michael Deselle and Rebecca “Becky” Guidry sued Lafayette Consolidated Government over a short-term rental law approved by the City Council in October 2023, alleging the ordinance violates the Takings Clause and Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The ordinance prohibits shortterm rentals of less than 30 days in single-family zoned areas, of
which the lawsuit alleges 75% of residential areas in the city are zoned. Calling the ordinance bad policy and manifestly unconstitutional, the lawsuit alleges that the shortterm rental restrictions equate to the government taking private property by depriving owners of income. As a result, the plaintiffs allege the city owes the property owners compensation.
Deselle owns property at 527 St. Joseph St., which includes a singlefamily home and a converted detached garage in which he invested about $90,000. He rented the units for about three years with a 90% to 100% occupancy that brought in about $6,000 a month, according to the lawsuit. When the ordinance was adopted, Deselle converted the property to long-term rentals that brought
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in less income, causing him to put the property up for sale. Guidry owns property at 102 Steeple Chase Drive, near her own home. After she inherited the property from her father, Guidry invested in upgrades and offered short-term leases from 2022 until the summer of 2024, earning about $50,000 a year, according to the
ä See RENTAL, page 5A
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