The harmful Republican megabill includes sweeping cuts to the Medicaid program that could result in 100,000 Louisianans losing health coverage starting in 2026. These cuts would fall particularly hard on pregnant women and young families, writes Melissa Goldin Evans in a guest column for The Times-Picayune | Baton Rouge Advocate: 

Louisiana already ranks 48th in maternal and child health outcomes and has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the U.S. Gutting Medicaid would turn a public health crisis into a catastrophe. More than half of Louisiana parishes are considered maternity care deserts — places where obstetric care is absent or dangerously limited. Over a third have no obstetric provider or hospital unit at all. Medicaid cuts would force more rural hospitals to close or eliminate obstetric care entirely, leaving entire regions without providers for prenatal or postpartum care.

Nanny state SNAP rules

Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration has been granted permission to restrict what Louisianan residents can buy at the grocery store with food assistance dollars. Chocolate chips are OK, but chocolate bars aren’t. Gatorade is permitted, as long as it contains sugar and not artificial sweetener. As Emily Woodruff reports for The Times-Picayune | Baton Rouge Advocate, the changes that take effect on January 15 are causing consternation among retailers and advocates.  

“We can all envision somebody coming to the checkout counter ready to buy their groceries, and all of a sudden you can’t buy this, that and the other thing with the SNAP card,” said John Sillars, chief strategy officer at Second Harvest Food Bank. “I think that will be challenging for them.” Sillars said his organization supports healthy eating, but the new rules “will mean some families are going to have fewer choices that align with their needs and budgets and the availability of items in nearby stores.” … Jessica Elliott, executive director of the Louisiana Retailers Association, said in an email that her members are concerned about the short timeline before the new rules take effect on Jan. 15, with “many operational changes to consider.” 

Tariffs will slow the economy

American consumers and companies will pay higher taxes on imports from more than 60 countries starting this week, as the latest round of tariffs ordered by President Donald Trump took effect on Thursday. The AP’s Josh Boak and Stan Choe report that the on-again, off-again import taxes are already slowing down the American economy:  

Hiring began to stall, inflationary pressures crept upward and home values in key markets started to decline after the initial tariff rollout in April, said John Silvia, CEO of Dynamic Economic Strategy. “A less productive economy requires fewer workers,” Silvia said. “But there is more, the higher tariff prices lower workers’ real wages. The economy has become less productive, and firms cannot pay the same real wages as before. Actions have consequences.”

A legal challenge that’s working its way to the U.S. Supreme Court will determine if Trump has the right to unilaterally impose tariffs using a 1977 law that grants presidents emergency power.  

Louisiana’s falling birth rates

Falling birthrates and steady outmigration have combined to steadily reduce Louisiana’s school-age population and create a drag on the state’s ability to grow its economy. The problems were detailed in recent stories by The Times-Picayune | Baton Rouge Advocate, which sums up the issues in a new editorial:  

The problem is especially worrisome given the large gains being experienced by other Sun Belt states, including Texas. These stories highlight the depth and trajectory of what is a well-known problem. There are solutions, but they won’t be easy, and they should be multipronged: an improved business climate should come along with upgrading “quality-of-life” issues that make places attractive to families. Otherwise, Louisiana will continue to lose, and other states, like Texas, will gain.

Number of the Day

29,000 – Decrease in the number of women, age 15-44, in Louisiana in 2023 compared to a decade earlier (Source: The Advocate)