Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

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

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1988-03-25

Duration: 00:26:22

Subjects: Roemer, Buddy | LAWSUITS | Louisiana -- Officials and employees | Teacher pay raises | Politics | Government | Louisiana. Legislature | Louisiana Legislative Session, 1988 | STATE BUDGET

Contributors:

• Lormand, Ken Host
• Sockman, Roger Reporter
• Kendrick, Brian Interviewee
• Fernandez, Manny Interviewee
• Gomez, Ron Interviewee
• Alario, John Interviewee
• Gunter, Carl, Jr. Speaker
• Roemer, Buddy Interviewee
• Roberts, Bill Speaker
• Jones, Charles R. Speaker
• Dimos, Jimmy Interviewee
• Drennen, Mark Interviewee
• Bares, Allen Interviewee
• Jackson, Alphonse Interviewee
• Downer, Hunt Interviewee
• Kennedy, John Neely Interviewee
• Strickland, Ed Interviewee
• Causey, Gordon Interviewee
• Dominique, Walter Interviewee
• Steimel, Ed Interviewee

This episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” from March 25, 1988, features Ken Lormand and Roger Sockman reporting on the first Special Session of the Louisiana Legislature. Lormand first reports on Governor Buddy Roemer’s legislative package giving him more authority to cut the state budget. His report includes interviews with: Commissioner of Administration Brian Kendrick; Manny Fernandez, Roemer’s assistant chief of staff; State Representative Ron Gomez, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee; State Representative John Alario; and Governor Buddy Roemer. Lormand’s report also includes: State Representative Carl Gunter, Jr. comparing Governor Roemer’s request for more authority to Adolf Hitler; Bill Roberts, the executive counsel to former Governor Edwin Edwards, testifying before the Senate Finance Committee on his concerns about granting Governor Roemer more budget authority; and State Representative Charles R. Jones debating a bill on the House floor. Next, Roger Sockman reports on the reaction to Governor Roemer’s opening address to the special session. He interviews: Speaker of the House Jimmy Dimos; Mark Drennen, the president of the Public Affairs Research Council (PAR); Senate President Allen Bares; State Representative Alphonse Jackson; State Representative Hunt Downer; and State Representative John Alario. Sockman then reports on a group of state employees filing a lawsuit against Governor Buddy Roemer’s plan to delay state employee pay checks for up to two weeks during the current fiscal year due to the state’s cash flow problems. Sockman reports that the judge ruled in favor of the Roemer Administration. He interviews: John Kennedy, Roemer staff attorney; Ed Strickland, an attorney for state employees; and Gordon Causey, an attorney for state employees. Next, Lormand presents an interview with Governor Roemer discussing how he plans to fund 5% teacher pay raises. Lormand then presents interviews with Governor Roemer and Walter Dominique of the Louisiana Fire Chiefs Association on a compromise to minimize the cuts to supplemental pay for police officers and firefighters. Lastly, Sockman reports on the House Ways and Means Committee deferring a bill establishing a state lottery. It includes interviews with Ed Steimel of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, Governor Roemer, and State Representative John Alario.