Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

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

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1984-06-06

Duration: 00:25:06

Subjects: Teacher pay raises | Environment | AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE | Louisiana. Legislature | Louisiana Legislative Session, 1984 | Politics | Government | Workers' compensation | HAZARDOUS WASTES | Political campaigns

Contributors:

• Johnson, Ken Host
• Ekings, Robyn Host
• Avant, Jack Speaker
• Cosse, Clark Speaker
• Epling, Carrel Interviewee
• Slacks, Lorraine Interviewee
• Fernandez, Manny Interviewee
• Swearingen, Lawson Interviewee
• Brown, Jim Interviewee
• Fry, Bob Interviewee
• Newman, Cliff Interviewee
• Phelps, Don Interviewee

This episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” from June 6, 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: Jack Avant, an attorney for the Louisiana AFL-CIO, and Clark Cosse, a business lobbyist, testifying on a bill abolishing the Office of Workmen’s Compensation; an interview with Carrel Epling of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers on their alternative plan to fund teacher pay raises; an interview with Lorraine Slacks, the president of the Louisiana Association of Educators; an interview with State Representative Manny Fernandez on a bill creating a moratorium on hazardous waste disposal into the land starting in 1989; an interview with State Senator Lawson Swearingen on a bill limiting the amount of time that candidates can run advertisements during a political campaign; and an interview with Secretary of State Jim Brown on a bill making it more difficult for out-of-state corporations to buy Louisiana companies. Next, Ekings reports on a legislative package aimed at decreasing the high number of uninsured drivers in Louisiana by increasing the minimum rates for liability insurance and requiring proof of insurance in vehicles. Her report includes interviews with Bob Fry of the American Automobile Association and State Senator Cliff Newman, one of the co-sponsors of the package. Lastly, Johnson and Ekings conduct an in-studio interview with State Senator Cliff Newman and Don Phelps, an attorney for the National Association of Independent Insurers. They discuss the details of Senator Newman’s legislative package and its potential impact on insurance premiums.