Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

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

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1990-05-18

Duration: 00:26:10

Subjects: Politics | Government | Louisiana. Legislature | Louisiana Legislative Session, 1990 | Reagan, Ronald | Taxes | STATE BUDGET | Abortion | Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Contributors:

• Collins, Robert Host
• Nachman, Karen Reporter
• Duhe, Jeff Reporter
• Roemer, Buddy Interviewee
• Reagan, Ronald Speaker
• Bares, Allen Interviewee
• Hainkel, John Interviewee
• Nelson, Sydney Interviewee
• Nunez, Sammy Interviewee
• Jefferson, William Speaker
• Chabert, Leonard Speaker
• Bankston, Larry Interviewee
• Holden, Kip Interviewee
• Reilly, Sean Speaker
• Stine, Dennis Speaker
• Powell, Bob Interviewee
• Templet, Paul Interviewee
• Stine, Dennis Interviewee
• Thompson, Francis Interviewee
• Brun, Roy Interviewee
• Patureau, Gary Interviewee
• Gerwin, Leslie Interviewee
• Rothrock, Robin Interviewee
• Cain, James David Interviewee
• Wydra, Don Interviewee
• Landrieu, Mary Interviewee
• Winham, Steve Interviewee
• Woogan, Gerald Interviewee
• Mills, P.J. Interviewee
• Bray, George Interviewee

This episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” from May 18, 1990, features Robert Collins, Karen Nachman, and Jeff Duhe reporting on the fifth week of the 1990 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature. Collins first reports on the week’s headlines, including: an interview with Governor Buddy Roemer following his tour of the flooding along the Red River near Shreveport; the execution of Dalton Prejean at Angola; and highlights of former President Ronald Reagan’s graduation speech at Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge. Next, Nachman reports on the ongoing power struggle in the Senate following newly elected Senate President Sammy Nunez’s decision to change committee chairman and committee members in the middle of the session. She interviews: former Senate President Allen Bares; State Senator John Hainkel; State Senator Sydney Nelson; and State Senator Larry Bankston. Her report also includes highlights of State Senator William Jefferson declining his nomination as Senate Pro Temp and State Senator Leonard Chabert’s speech after his election as Pro Temp. Her report also touches on the possibility of ousting Speaker of the House Jimmy Dimos, including interviews with Governor Roemer and State Representative Kip Holden. Duhe then reports on the action on the Governor’s tax package in the House Ways and Means Committee. His report includes highlights of State Representative Sean Reilly questioning Commissioner of Administration Dennis Stine. He also interviews: Monroe Mayor Bob Powell; Secretary Paul Templet of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ); Commissioner Stine; and Governor Roemer. Next, Nachman reports on the House Appropriations Committee questioning the $2.7 million budget request by the Governor’s Office of Literacy. She interviews: State Representative Francis Thompson; State Representative Roy Brun; and Gary Patureau of the Governor’s Office of Literacy. Duhe then reports on pro-choice advocates visiting the capitol to lobby lawmakers to vote against the anti-abortion bill. He interviews Leslie Gerwin of the Louisiana Coalition for Reproductive Freedom and Robin Rothrock of the Louisiana League of Women Voters. Next, Duhe and Collins report on the other top stories at the session, including: an interview with State Representative James David Cain on his bill lowering the legal intoxication level from .10 to .08; an interview with Don Wydra, the assistant secretary of juvenile services, on the escape of ten juveniles from a detention center in Baker; and interviews with State Treasurer Mary Landrieu and Steve Winham, the state budget director, on Charity Hospital in New Orleans running out of money. Lastly, Nachman reports on the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge hosting their first cancer research symposium. She interviews: Dr. Gerald Woogan of MIT; P.J. Mills, the Governor’s chief of staff; and Dr. George Bray, the director of Pennington.