Collection:LPB

Genre: Debate

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

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1991-11-06

Duration: 00:57:14

Subjects: Environment | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | Education | Politics | STATE BUDGET | TEXACO | Economy | Taxes | Political ethics | MINIMUM FOUNDATION PROGRAM | Marine Shale Processors, Inc. | United States. Environmental Protection Agency | Elections, 1991 | Louisiana gubernatorial election, 1991 | Edwards, Edwin W. | Duke, David Ernest | Television debates | Welfare | Racism

Contributors:

• Allen, Gary Producer
• Eaglin, J. Carlos, II Director
• Collins, Robert Moderator
• Baudouin, Richard Interviewer
• Robinson, Norman Interviewer
• Shuler, Marsha Interviewer
• Duhe, Jeff Interviewer
• Edwards, Edwin Panelist
• Duke, David Panelist

A debate held on November 6, 1991, for the Louisiana gubernatorial election between run-off candidates Edwin Edwards, a Democrat and former three-term governor, and David Duke, a Republican and State Representative. The debate was moderated by Robert Collins and featured questions from a panel of four political reporters: Richard Baudouin of the Times of Acadiana newspaper in Lafayette; Norman Robinson of WDSU-TV in New Orleans; Marsha Shuler of the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate newspaper; and Jeff Duhe of LPB’s “Louisiana: The State We’re In.” For the first round of questions, each panelist asked a question to both candidates: Baudouin, Name your 4 or 5 key advisors and tell us what their role or impact will have on your administration; Robinson, What will be the 3 most important bills, other than the budget, in your legislative package?; Shuler, What are your plans for the Minimum Foundation Program in education?; Duhe, Name 5 industrialists or corporate executives with whom you’ve had recent conversations about economic development in Louisiana and what is the impression you received from them about investing in Louisiana?; Baudouin, How many state positions would have to be eliminated for your attrition plan to work and how would the state constitution need to be rewritten to restructure spending?; Robinson, Would you support a law that would prohibit legislators and their employees from accepting state contracts?. For the second round of questions, each panelist asked a question to an individual candidate: Shuler to Edwards, Four years ago, you quit the race for governor rather than losing – Why should voters trust you now?; Duhe to Duke, Describe your jobs since high school and the experiences they have given you to be suited to run a $9 billion organization like the State of Louisiana?; Baudouin to Edwards, Do you support the lawsuit against Texaco for the alleged underpayment of royalties to the state?; Robinson to Duke, Why should the lives of minorities and their children be entrusted to you after the extreme racial remarks you have made in the past?; Duhe to Edwards, Will you continue to hire employees based on your previously stated qualifications of “Qualified friends, unqualified friends and enemies” and could you name those who might not have been friends whom you hired the past?; Baudouin to Duke, How do you reconcile the statistic of the average welfare family size of 3 with your campaign rhetoric that welfare mothers are having more children to increase the amount of their welfare check?; Robinson to Edwards, What assurances can you give that your leadership will not fail at budgetary problems again?; Shuler to Duke, Why do your large number of out-of-state contributors have an interest in Louisiana’s gubernatorial election?; Baudouin to Edwards, Will you help Marine Shale in their conflicts with EPA authorities?; Robinson to Duke, Are your past activities under assumed names the actions of a man the state can trust to its highest office?