Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

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

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1985-06-07

Duration: 00:27:42

Subjects: Politics | Government | Louisiana. Legislature | Louisiana Legislative Session, 1985 | People with disabilities | Kindergarten | Early childhood education

Contributors:

• Johnson, Ken Host
• Myers, Laura Reporter
• Scott, Jock Speaker
• Carson, Marcus Speaker
• Charton, Steve Speaker
• Kegel, Martha Interviewee
• Waters, William Interviewee
• Vincent, Ross Speaker
• Smith, Gloria Speaker
• Clausen, Tom Interviewee
• Kember, Harry, Jr. Interviewee
• Landrieu, Mary Speaker
• Russell, Weldon Interviewee
• Johnson, Al Interviewee
• Blackmon, Evelyn Speaker
• Tubre, Charles Speaker
• Fittre, Carolyn Speaker
• O'Neal, B.F. Interviewee
• Johnson, Jon Interviewee

This episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” from June 7, 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: State Representative Jock Scott, Marcus Carson, legislative coordinator, and Steve Charton, small business spokesman, testifying on Scott’s bill prohibiting businesses from requiring polygraph tests as a condition of employment; interviews with Martha Kegel, the state director of the ACLU, and Dr. William Waters, LSU psychology professor, on their support of the polygraph bill; Ross Vincent of the Ecology Center and Gloria Smith of the Sierra Club testifying in favor of a bill banning smoking in public places; an interview with Superintendent of Education Tom Clausen on the status of the bill changing his office from an elective to an appointive position; an interview with State Representative Harry Kember, Jr. on his vote on the Superintendent of Education bill; State Representative Jock Scott testifying on his bill abolishing the certificate of need program for hospitals and nursing homes; State Representative Mary Landrieu questioning Scott on his bill; and interviews with State Representative Weldon Russell and Al Johnson, EMT paramedic, on Russell’s bill establishing minimum standards for ambulance care. Next, Laura Myers reports on the testimony in the House Health and Welfare Committee on a bill authorizing a pilot program to allow severely handicapped people to hire a personal care attendant with state funds. It includes testimony by State Representative Evelyn Blackmon, Charles Tubre, and Carolyn Fittre. Lastly, Myers conducts an in-studio interview with State Representatives B. F. O’Neal and Jon Johnson. They discuss their differing views on the mandatory kindergarten bill.