Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

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

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1984-06-15

Duration: 00:25:03

Subjects: Politics | Government | Louisiana. Legislature | Louisiana Legislative Session, 1984 | Teacher pay raises | State employee pay raises | Professional Improvement Program | Treen, David C., 1928-2009 | Elections, 1984 | United States presidential election, 1984 | Republican Party (La.)

Contributors:

• Courtney, Beth Host
• Ekings, Robyn Host
• Laborde, Raymond Interviewee
• Slacks, Lorraine Interviewee
• Epling, Carrel Interviewee
• Steimel, Ed Interviewee
• Moraine, Troy Speaker
• Baker, Richard Speaker
• Treen, Dave Interviewee

This episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” from June 15, 1984, features Beth Courtney and Robyn Ekings hosting a daily legislative report on the 1984 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature. Courtney and Ekings first report on the week’s headlines. These stories include: interviews with State Representative Raymond Laborde, Lorraine Slacks of the Louisiana Association of Educators, and Carrel Epling of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers on the House’s vote to reject an increase in the corporate franchise tax in order to fund teacher pay raises; an interview with Ed Steimel, the president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI), on the plan to abolish the Professional Improvement Program (PIPS) for teachers; and Troy Moraine of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and State Representative Richard Baker speaking in favor of 10% pay raises at a rally of state employees. Courtney then conducts an in-studio interview with former Governor Dave Treen. He discusses: the difficulty in funding teacher and state employee pay raises; the $734 million in taxes raised during the special session; the proposed phasing out of the PIPS program; his decision not to be a constant critic of the Edwards Administration; his involvement in the upcoming 1984 presidential election; and the difficulty in establishing the Republican Party in Louisiana.