Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

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

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1985-06-17

Duration: 00:26:37

Subjects: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION | UNEMPLOYMENT | Politics | Government | Louisiana. Legislature | Louisiana Legislative Session, 1985 | Environment | PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY

Contributors:

• Johnson, Ken Host
• Myers, Laura Reporter
• Bagert, Ben Speaker
• Casey, Tom Interviewee
• Charton, Steve Interviewee
• Steimel, Ed Interviewee
• Flory, Gordon Interviewee
• Nicholson, Elwyn Interviewee
• Nunez, Sammy Interviewee
• Diez, Juba Speaker
• Jumonville, J.E. Speaker
• Turnley, Richard Interviewee
• Donelon, Jim Interviewee
• Adams, Pete Interviewee
• Cusimano, Charles Interviewee
• Trostorff, Danielle Interviewee
• Rayburn, B.B. "Sixty" Interviewee
• Russell, Weldon Interviewee
• Loy, Fred Interviewee

This episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” from June 17, 1985, features Ken Johnson hosting a daily legislative report on the 1985 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature. Johnson first reports on the Senate passing the right to know bill requiring chemical plants and other employers to disclose the chemicals and hazardous substances that are used in their businesses. It includes highlights of State Senator Ben Bagert, the bill’s sponsor, presenting the bill on the Senate floor. Laura Myers then reports on a package of bills aimed at reforming the state’s unemployment compensation system, which currently owes the federal government $485 million. She interviews: State Senator Tom Casey; Steve Charton, an independent business lobbyist; Ed Steimel, the president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry; and Gordon Flory of the Louisiana AFL-CIO. Next, Johnson reports on the day’s other headlines. These stories include: an interview with State Senator Elwyn Nicholson on his constitutional amendment allowing legislators to raise the license plate fee; an interview with Senate President Sammy Nunez on his bill preventing local governments from taxing waste gas; State Representative Juba Diez and State Senator J.E. Jumonville testifying on a bill removing the Amite River from the Natural and Scenic River System; an interview with State Senator Richard Turnley on his fair housing bill; interviews with State Representative Jim Donelon and Pete Adams of the Louisiana District Attorneys Association on Donelon’s bill allowing the Attorney General to intervene in local criminal cases without being asked by the district attorney; an interview with State Representative Charles Cusimano on his concurrent resolution prohibiting the LSU Athletic Department from publishing their own sports magazine to compete with “Tiger Rag”; an interview with Danielle Trostorff, a health lawyer, on the proposed amendment to the right to die law; an interview with State Senator B.B. “Sixty” Rayburn, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, on the timeline for the state budget hearings; and an interview with State Representative Weldon Russell on the status of his bill requiring criminal history checks for people who supervise children. Lastly, Johnson conducts an in-studio interview with Fred Loy, the executive vice president of the Louisiana Chemical Association. He discusses his organization’s opposition to Senator Bagert’s right to know bill.