Collection:LPB

Genre: Debate

Place Covered: Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1979-11-15

Duration: 00:55:59

Subjects: Television debates | Elections, 1979 | Louisiana gubernatorial election, 1979 | Treen, David C., 1928-2009 | LAMBERT, LOUIS | Politics | Campaign Finance | Labor | Government | RIGHT TO WORK | Arbitration | Public employee strikes | Right to strike | Vocational-technical schools | Electoral reform | Political corruption | VOTER FRAUD | MOUTON, EDGAR G. "SONNY" | Henry, E. L. "Bubba" | People with disabilities | EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT | Women's rights | HIGHER EDUCATION | Education | Nuclear power plants | NUCLEAR ENERGY

Contributors:

• George, Beth Moderator
• Buchanan, Don Interviewer
• Lynch, Bill Interviewer
• Brightbill, Roy Interviewer
• Hill, John Interviewer
• Treen, Dave Panelist
• Lambert, Louis Panelist

Beth George moderates a live debate in Baton Rouge on November 15, 1979, between the two run-off candidates for Governor, Congressman Dave Treen (R) and Public Service Commission Chairman Louis Lambert (D). The debate begins with the opening statement of each candidate. A panel of journalists asks the first round of questions: Don Buchanan of the Baton Rouge State Times and Morning Advocate; Bill Lynch of the New Orleans Times-Picayune; Roy Brightbill of United Press International; and John Hill of the Shreveport Times and Monroe Morning World. They ask the candidates questions on the following topics: campaign finance; labor management issues, including right to work, binding arbitration, public employee strikes, and opening up Vo-Tech schools to everyone; Treen’s ability to work with the Louisiana Legislature; election reform; campaign expenditures to political organizations for “questionable” services; and political corruption. During this portion of the debate, Lambert alleges that Treen received endorsements from two former gubernatorial candidates, Speaker of the House E.L. “Bubba” Henry and State Senator Edgar “Sonny” Mouton, in exchange for the payment of their campaign debt. Audience members then ask the second round of questions to the candidates on the following topics: aid to people with disabilities; services for senior citizens; the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment; resolving public employee strikes; allocating more funds to Southern University and other small colleges and universities; the construction of two nuclear power plants in the state; compensatory funding for higher education; and improving the quality of K-12 education. The debate ends with each candidate’s closing statement.