Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

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

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1984-05-24

Duration: 00:24:53

Subjects: Government | CREATIONISM | Day care centers | SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION | Capital Punishment | Environment | Teacher pay raises | Group homes for people with mental disabilities | Louisiana. Legislature | Louisiana Legislative Session, 1984 | Politics

Contributors:

• Johnson, Ken Host
• Ekings, Robyn Host
• Nelson, Sydney Speaker
• Rentz, Jim Speaker
• Edwards, Edwin Speaker
• Clausen, Tom Interviewee
• Williams, Rose Speaker
• Vincent, Ross Interviewee
• Edwards, Edwin Interviewee
• Ross, Sylvia Interviewee
• Atkinson, Elliott Speaker
• Bergeron, Gary Speaker
• Schmidt, Robert Interviewee
• Mathews, Joseph Interviewee
• Tassin, Mike Interviewee
• Lombardo, Dan Interviewee

This episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” from May 24, 1984, features Ken Johnson and Robyn Ekings hosting a daily legislative report on the 1984 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature. Johnson first reports on the day’s headlines. These stories include: State Senator Sydney Nelson speaking in favor of repealing the 1981 creation science law; Jim Rentz of World Ministry Center speaking at a rally against a bill requiring the licensing of day care centers; Governor Edwin Edwards speaking in favor of a bill changing the Superintendent of Education from an elective position to an appointive position; an interview with Superintendent of Education Tom Clausen on his belief that the bill will not pass; Rose Williams, the mother of Robert Wayne Williams, speaking in favor of a bill abolishing the death penalty; an interview with environmentalist Ross Vincent on his concerns over ground water contamination; and an interview with Governor Edwards on the status of teacher pay raises. Next, Ekings reports on a bill requiring local approval before a group home for the mentally disabled can be located in a single-family residential neighborhood. Her report includes: an interview with Sylvia Ross, the program manager for Graham House; Elliott Atkinson, homeowner, and Councilman Gary Bergeron testifying in favor of the bill; and interviews with Robert Schmidt, a group resident in Thibodaux, and Joseph Mathews, homeowner. Lastly, Johnson and Ekings conduct an in-studio interview with Mike Tassin, the president of the Baton Rouge Federation of Civic Associations, and Dan Lombardo, the executive director of the Special Children’s Foundation. They discuss their positions on the group home bill.