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F r i d ay, J u n e 27, 2025
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GOP spending bill runs afoul of rules Senate parliamentarian rules against Medicaid proposal
BY MARK BALLARD
Staff writer
WASHINGTON — As U.S. Senate leaders struggle to find just enough Republicans to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill, the Senate parliamentarian ruled Thursday that some GOP plans to raise billions by reducing Medicaid spending didn’t adhere to the rules the
majority party wants to use to approve the instrument without Democrats. Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough shot down the Senate Finance Committee’s proposal to lower how much states could tax hospitals, clinics and other health care providers, which budget hawks championed, and centrist senators opposed.
That proposal had alarmed many Louisiana health care leaders, who feared it could slash budgets for rural hospitals. The parliamentarian’s decision could delay passage of the bill. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and President Donald Trump have both said they want it to pass by the weekend. Some Republican hard-liners
demanded MacDonough’s termination. But Louisiana’s two senators, both Republicans, said firing MacDonough isn’t responsible. “We all have respect for the parliamentarian. I think that she’s very fair and I don’t think that she should be fired nor do I think she will be fired,” Sen. John N. Kennedy, of Madisonville, told reporters. Sen. Bill Cassidy, of Baton Rouge,
BR school buses get new cameras Technology could curb misbehavior, improve training, officials say
BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer
said: “My position is that cuts, and especially drastic cuts to Medicaid, should be avoided. The Senate bill cuts Medicaid too much. I agree with President Trump, the House version is better.” Their comments align with Louisiana’s hospital community, which has been on Capitol Hill lobbying for changes in the Senate Finance version that conservatives say will generate billions of dollars to offset the costs of Trump’s tax breaks
ä See SPENDING, page 7A
New look at death sentence ordered
BR man convicted of killing 2 restaurant workers in 1995
After going nine years without them, East Baton Rouge Parish public schools are busy installing modern camera systems on almost the entire bus fleet, in time for the Aug. 7 start of school. The cameras will give school officials an important tool in correctly assigning blame when it comes to student fights, poor driving, vandalism and traffic accidents. The hope is that video evidence will result in savings on insurance claims, savings that may partially offset the $3.5 million, five-year price tag. The school system last had operating cameras, on some but not all buses, in 2016. School leaders have talked for years about buying new cameras but balked at the cost. In the meantime, surveillance cameras have become the norm in many other school bus fleets. Technicians from Pro-Vision Solutions, the Michigan-based company supplying the technology, arrived Monday at the district’s bus depot on North Sherwood Drive to begin installing eight cameras per bus. They are installing them on 500 buses — about 20 additional “trail” buses will still lack cameras. The company has set a busy timetable to finish work over the next month. O n T h u r s d a y a f t e rnoon, speaking with local
BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer
ABOVE: A technician wires in the camera system from Pro-Vision on an East Baton Rouge Parish school bus on Thursday. LEFT: A camera, one of eight on each bus, monitors the exterior of a school bus. STAFF PHOTOS By MICHAEL JOHNSON
ä See CAMERAS, page 6A
A man condemned to death for fatally shooting two Baton Rouge restaurant workers during a robbery nearly 30 years ago may soon have a chance to stave off his execution. A federal district judge recently vacated the death sentence of Todd Kelvin Wessinger in a 1995 double murder at Calendar’s Restaurant. An East Baton Rouge Parish jury convicted him Wessinger of the killings 28 years ago. Now, Wessinger, 57, could have a chance to convince a new jury to spare his life. Wessinger was a former dishwasher at the now-closed diner, which once stood along Perkins Road. He shot and killed restaurant employee David Breakwell, 46, and Stephanie Guzzardo, a 27-year-old manager, during the Nov. 19, 1995, robbery. He also shot another worker in the back — that person survived — and tried to shoot a fourth employee in the head, but his gun jammed, according to federal court records. U.S. District Judge John deGravelles remanded Wessinger’s case
ä See SENTENCE, page 6A
Liberty Lagoon set to open July 4 hours once school resumes nage out saying this is not open BREC blames delay inlimited August. She blamed the delay on to the public yet,” she said. “And general maintenance and work on the reason we’re doing it that way on lifeguard shortage, the is because we want to filtration system, “We didn’t feel make sure everything maintenance but said she “didn’t
BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer
The water fountains are spraying. A few employees are positioned at the entrance gates. Yet, a month after Memorial Day, Liberty Lagoon Water Park still hasn’t opened for summer. The BREC water park’s opening was delayed last month after the agency announced a shortage of lifeguards. Now, interim BREC Commissioner Janet Simmons said Liberty Lagoon will officially open July 4 and run through Labor Day, with
WEATHER HIGH 92 LOW 74 PAGE 8B
is working properly know the specifics.” comfortable and making sure that “We didn’t feel comopening it … everything’s safe for fortable opening it until until we had everybody.” we had everything, you everything, you The Capital Region know, fixed,” she said. know, fixed.” has been left with few Simmons said the options for swimming lifeguard roles have JANET SIMMONS, this summer. been filled, and the park interim BREC The problems besystem wanted to delay commissioner the opening until safety gan in May, when Blue was guaranteed for visiBayou Water Park announced it would not tors and staff. To that end, Simmons said the facility will open for the 2025 season. Its sister have a “soft launch” Saturday with attraction, Dixie Landin’ Theme selected people testing the equip- Park, was open for about a week before closing permanently. ment. “If people see people in Liberty ä See LIBERTY, page 7A Lagoon, we’re going to have sig-
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
Water sprays at Liberty Lagoon as the park sits empty on Thursday.
Business ......................3B Commentary ................7B Nation-World ................2A Classified .....................7D Deaths .........................4B Opinion ........................6B Comics-Puzzles .....4D-6D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
100TH yEAR, NO. 362