Collection:LPB

Genre: Panel

Place Covered: Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 2014-03-26

Duration: 00:57:12

Subjects: Filmed panel discussions | MINIMUM WAGE | Poverty | Working poor | Small business

Contributors:

• Courtney, Beth Host
• Sanford, Shauna Host
• Gautreaux, Kevin Producer
• Obama, Barack Speaker
• Hunter, Marcus Interviewee
• Moller, Jan Interviewee
• Scott, Loren Interviewee
• Felder, Patricia Interviewee
• Starns, Dawn Interviewee
• Gonzalez, Federico Speaker
• Dickerson, Tiffany Speaker
• Pickett, Timothy Speaker
• Clawson, Garrett Speaker
• Roe, Scott Speaker
• Overton, John Speaker
• Batarseh, Christian Speaker
• Thomas, L.C. Speaker
• Laborde, Matthew Speaker
• Zucker, Erika A. Speaker
• Rhoads, Michael D. Speaker
• Fini, Joshua Speaker
• Dixon, Herbert Panelist
• Hebert, Robert Panelist
• Gray, David Panelist
• Patterson, Jim Panelist

This episode of the series “Louisiana Public Square” from March 26, 2014, features Shauna Sanford leading a discussion between the audience members and panelists on whether Louisiana should establish a minimum wage. A background report on the topic precedes the discussion. It includes interviews with: State Representative Marcus Hunter; Jan Moller, the director of the Louisiana Budget Project; Dr. Loren Scott, economist; Patricia Felder, small business owner; and Dawn Starns, the state director of the National Federation of Independent Businesses. The audience members then discuss whether an increase in the minimum wage would help or hurt the state’s working poor. A panel of experts then joins the audience to answer their questions. The panelists are: State Representative Hebert Dixon, the chairman of the House Labor and Industrial Relations Committee; Dr. Robert Hebert, an economist; David Gray, a policy analyst with the Louisiana Budget Project; and Jim Patterson, the vice president of governmental relations with the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI). They discuss: the impact of raising the minimum wage on employers and employees; Representative Dixon’s bill establishing a state minimum wage; and the possibility of increasing the earned income tax credit. Hosts: Beth Courtney and Shauna Sanford