Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, has proposed $792 million in cuts that would include closing safety-net hospitals in four cities. He has been trying to deal with the massive deficit left by his heavy-tax-cutting Republican predecessor Bobby Jindal.
But Mr. Edwards hopes that the cuts can be avoided by raising taxes. He plans to call a special legislative session as soon as June 7 to address the issue.
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals would have its funds slashed by $408.7 million under his fiscal 2017 budget proposal.
Safety-net hospitals in Alexandria, Bogalusa, Houma and Lake Charles would close, while all other safety-net hospitals would receive a 3 percent cut.
