Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

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

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1985-05-13

Duration: 00:27:15

Subjects: Politics | Government | Louisiana. Legislature | Louisiana Legislative Session, 1985 | New Orleans Saints (Football team) | Superdome (New Orleans, La.) | Education | Prison overcrowding

Contributors:

• Johnson, Ken Host
• Myers, Laura Reporter
• Osterberger, Ken Interviewee
• Cain, James David Interviewee
• Lalonde, Raymond Interviewee
• Faucheux, Ron Speaker
• Delpit, Joe Interviewee
• Newman, Cliff Interviewee
• Edwards, Edwin Speaker
• Leach, Buddy Speaker
• D'Gerolamo, Edward Speaker
• Purdy, Tom Interviewee
• Laborde, Raymond Interviewee

This episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” from May 13, 1985, features Ken Johnson hosting a daily legislative report on the 1985 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature. Johnson first reports on the day’s headlines. These stories include: an interview with State Senator Ken Osterberger on the possibility of permitting private management firms to operate the Charity Hospital system; interviews with State Representatives James David Cain and Raymond Lalonde on Cain’s bill allowing private businesses to build new prisons and lease them to the state; Commerce Secretary Ron Faucheux announcing an in-state advertising campaign; an interview with State Representative Joe Delpit on a bill banning the sale of farm equipment and automobiles manufactured in communist countries or South Africa; and an interview with State Senator Cliff Newman on his bill related to the wholesale tobacco industry. Next, Laura Myers reports on the House Ways and Means Committee’s approval of a bill lifting the 4% state sales tax on Superdome events, which is a part of Governor Edwin Edwards’ plan to keep the New Orleans Saints. Her report includes: Governor Edwards testifying on the bill; State Representatives Buddy Leach and Edward D’Gerolamo discussing the bill; and an interview with Tom Purdy of the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce. Lastly, Johnson conducts an in-studio interview with State Representative Raymond Laborde, the chief floor leader for the Edwards Administration. He discusses: the Superdome bill; the possibility of concessions for other facilities around the state; the opposition of rural constituents to the state’s involvement in a plan to aid the New Orleans Saints; Governor Edwards’ education reform package, including the bills on mandatory kindergarten, making the Superintendent of Education an elective position, and the merit pay plan for teachers; and prison overcrowding.