Collection:LPB

Genre: Speech

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

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 2003-03-31

Duration: 00:46:30

Subjects: Foster, Mike, Jr., 1930- | Louisiana. Legislature | Louisiana Legislative Session, 2003 | Politics | Government | Tax reform | Education | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | Transportation | Environment | COASTAL RESTORATION | School discipline | Early childhood education | Teacher pay raises | HIGHER EDUCATION | Louisiana. Department of Environmental Quality

Contributors:

• Hainkel, John Speaker
• Foster, Mike Speaker
• Salter, Joe Speaker

Live coverage of Governor Mike Foster’s opening address to the 2003 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature on March 31, 2003. Prior to the speech, State Representative Joe Salter leads a prayer and Governor Foster presents the Jimmie Davis Sunshine Award to Dr. Len Bahr of the Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities. During his speech, Governor Foster discusses his administration’s accomplishments in the areas of tax reform, education, economic development, transportation, and coastal restoration. He also outlines his legislative priorities for the session, including developing a plan to deal with failing public schools, school discipline, funding for community colleges, teacher pay raises, expanding the pre-K program, establishing a coastal restoration fund, and enacting the recommendations of the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Task Force.