Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

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

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1984-05-14

Duration: 00:25:03

Subjects: Louisiana. Legislature | Louisiana Legislative Session, 1984 | Politics | Government | STATE BUDGET | Teacher pay raises | Banking Industry | Louisiana World Exposition (1984: New Orleans, La.) | HIGHER EDUCATION | University of Southwestern Louisiana

Contributors:

• Johnson, Ken Host
• Ekings, Robyn Host
• Alario, John Interviewee
• Nunez, Sammy Interviewee
• Robinson, Sandra Interviewee
• Slacks, Lorraine Speaker
• Bagneris, Dennis Interviewee
• Nicholson, Elywn Interviewee
• Newman, Cliff Speaker
• Authement, Ray Speaker
• Brinkhaus, Armand Speaker
• Guarisco, Anthony Speaker
• Newman, Cliff Interviewee
• Mouton, Sonny Interviewee

This episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” from May 14, 1984, features Ken Johnson and Robyn Ekings hosting a daily legislative report on the 1984 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature. Johnson first reports on the day’s headlines. These stories include: interviews with Speaker of the House John Alario and Senate President Sammy Nunez on a special committee’s recommendations for $105 million in budget cuts; an interview with Secretary Sandra Robinson of the Department of Health and Human Resources on the proposed $20 million cut to her department; Lorraine Slacks, the president of the Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE), speaking to the Baton Rouge Press Club about the possibility of a teacher walk-out if there is no plan for teacher pay raises; an interview with State Senator Dennis Bagneris on his opposition to Governor Edwin Edwards’ plan to use a tax trade-off to fund teacher pay raises; an interview with State Senator Elwyn Nicholson on the multi-parish banking bill; and the opening of the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans. Next, Ekings reports on the debate over a bill requiring the Board of Regents and the Legislature to approve name changes for colleges and universities. Ekings reports that this bill is a response to the Board of Trustees’ recent vote to change the name of the University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL) in Lafayette to the University of Louisiana. Her report includes State Senator Cliff Newman and Dr. Ray Authement, the president of USL, testifying on the bill in committee, as well as State Senator Armand Brinkhaus and State Senator Anthony Guarisco debating the bill on the Senate floor. Lastly, Johnson and Ekings conduct an in-studio interview with State Senator Cliff Newman and former State Senator Sonny Mouton. They discuss their positions on the name change bill.