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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 bil-
lions 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 deci-
sion 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
NEW ORLEANS MAyOR
Candidates face off for first time 3 lay out agendas at crowded forum
Council seeks opinions on contracting, accounting system
BY JAMES FINN Staff writer
ä See CANDIDATES, page 8A
ä See SPENDING, page 10A
AG asked to weigh in on N.O. sheriff
E LEC T ION 2025
Three mayoral hopefuls laid out ambitious visions for New Orleans before a shoulder-to-shoulder audience on Thursday, jockeying to portray themselves as agents of change for a struggling city at a candidate forum that set the tone for a pivotal municipal election. The forum, hosted at the Gert Town headquarters of Voters Organized to Educate, a grassroots group that encourages voter participation, showcased impassioned speeches on marquee New Orleans issues from three leading candidates: retired Judge Arthur Hunter, City Council Vice President Helena Moreno and District E council member Oliver Thomas. Waving their arms, raising their voices and occasionally throwing jabs at each other, the candidates vied to convince the audience that they would be the one to most effectively expand affordable housing, curb homelessness, mend the city’s beleaguered infrastructure and tackle a host of other entrenched issues. New Orleanians, they seemed to agree, deserve fresh leadership. “I believe you work too darn hard to be treated this way by the city of New Orleans,” Moreno said. Again and again, she blasted the “absent”
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, said: “My position is that cuts, and especially drastic cuts to Medicaid, should be avoided. The Senate
BY BEN MYERS Staff writer
New Orleans City Council members on Thursday criticized Sheriff Susan Hutson for refusing to disclose financial information and voted to request attorney general opinions on whether they can force her to do so. The long-standing council-sheriff clash over funding for the city’s Hutson jail blew up into a major issue after the May 16 escape of 10 inmates, with Hutson blaming the council for failing to adequately fund her office. Two of the escapees, Antoine Massey and Derrick Groves, remained at large as of Thursday. Council members say Hutson needs to provide basic information concerning her office’s use of city funds it already receives — including $65 million this year — before they consider giving her more. “We are told that our job is to simply fund the Sheriff’s Office, no matter the request, no matter the ability to analyze it,” said council member Eugene Green.
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Candidates from left, Arthur Hunter, Helena Moreno and Oliver Thomas wait to begin the New Orleans mayoral town hall hosted by Voters Organized to Educate at the VOTE headquarters on Thursday.
ä See SHERIFF, page 10A
Jim Cook selected to lead Morial Convention Center BY ANTHONY McAULEY
tion Center’s 13-person oversight board since last year, when he was appointed by Gov. Jeff Landry. Cook was identified in January as the The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center’s oversight board on Wednesday ap- board’s pick to be the new leader of the pointed longtime hotel executive Jim Convention Center, replacing Michael Cook as the facility’s new chief execu- Sawaya, who announced in November that he would be leaving to take up a tive. Cook, the general manager of the new job running the Audubon Nature Sheraton New Orleans Hotel for a de- Institute. To take the job, Cook required a cade, has been a member of the Conven-
Staff writer
WEATHER HIGH 92 LOW 77 PAGE 8B
change in the state’s ethics rules because they had barred board members from being appointed to executive posts at the same organization. The new ethics law that was passed in the legislative session, and took effect June 11, contained a specific exemption for Cook’s appointment. Cook said Thursday that he expected to start work at the Convention Center the first week of August. His appoint-
ment comes as the Convention Center is undertaking several projects aimed at transforming the 40-year-old facility and its surrounding neighborhood. They include the first major overhaul of the facility since it was built, with a cost of around $550 million to upgrade the interior, add new landscaping and the construction of a new opening along
ä See COOK, page 10A
Business ...................12A Commentary ................7B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................7D Deaths .........................3B Opinion ........................6B Comics-Puzzles .....3D-6D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
Cook
12TH yEAR, NO. 319