Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

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

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1985-04-23

Duration: 00:26:35

Subjects: Education | Child Abuse | Politics | Government | Louisiana. Legislature | Louisiana Legislative Session, 1985 | STATE BUDGET | United Houma Nation | Native Americans | Louisiana. Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism | Criminal justice, Administration of | Prison overcrowding | Capital Punishment

Contributors:

• Johnson, Ken Host
• Myers, Laura Reporter
• Nunez, Sammy Interviewee
• Billiot, John Interviewee
• Harris, Deborah Interviewee
• Van Bibber, Carol Interviewee
• LeBlanc, Bob Speaker
• Swearingen, Lawson Speaker
• Miller, Ralph Interviewee
• Gomez, Ron Interviewee
• Connick, Harry, Sr. Interviewee
• Swearingen, Lawson Interviewee

This episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” from April 23, 1985, features Ken Johnson hosting a daily legislative report on the 1985 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature. Johnson first reports on the day’s headlines. These stories include: the Edwards Administration calling for $230 million in budget cuts in order to fund the education reform package; an interview with Senate President Sammy Nunez on education as a priority and the difficulty in cutting the budget; an interview with John Billiot, the chief of the United Houma Nation, on their concerns about the cuts to Indian Affairs; and interviews with Deborah Harris of Bossier City and Carol Van Bibber of Alexandria, Louisiana’s nominees for NASA’s Teacher in Space project. Next, Laura Myers reports on the Joint Commerce Committee rejecting the 1985 Tourism Master Plan, as well as the effort to move the Office of Tourism to the Department of Commerce and Industry. Her report includes: Bob LeBlanc of the Office of Tourism testifying before the committee on their advertising plan; State Senator Lawson Swearingen questioning LeBlanc; and interviews with State Representatives Ralph Miller and Ron Gomez. Lastly, Ken Johnson conducts an in-studio interview with Orleans Parish District Attorney Harry Connick, Sr. and State Senator Lawson Swearingen. They discuss: prison overcrowding; the budget problems facing prosecutors; the possibility of privatizing prison services; the death penalty; and the increase in the reporting of child abuse cases.