DEQ Proposal Passes Senate Committee (1983)
Louisiana: The State We're In

Details
Collection:LPB
Genre: News, Public Affairs
Place Covered: Louisiana
Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority
Date Issued: 1983-06-03
Duration: 00:04:25
Subjects: Politics | Government | Louisiana. Legislature | Louisiana Legislative Session, 1983 | Government reorganization | Louisiana. Department of Environmental Quality | Louisiana. Department of Corrections | Louisiana. Department of Public Safety | Environment
Contributors:
- Young, David Host
- Crane, Richard Speaker
- Phelps, C. Paul Speaker
- Edwards, Edwin Speaker
- Landry, Mary Ann Speaker
- Cointment, Ruby Speaker
- Vincent, Ross Speaker
- Kiefer, Nat Speaker
Description
This segment from the June 3, 1983, episode of “Louisiana: The State We’re In” features David Young’s report on the debate in the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee at the 1983 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature over the creation of a Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the merger of the Departments of Corrections and Public Safety. It includes: Richard Crane, a U.S. Justice Department consultant and C. Paul Phelps, the former Secretary of the Department of Corrections, testifying against the merger; Lieutenant Governor Bobby Freeman testifying in favor of merging the Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism with the Lieutenant Governor’s Office; former Governor Edwin Edwards calling for a vote on a constitutional amendment to add a 21st executive branch department in order to create DEQ; environmentalist Mary Ann Landry, Ruby Cointment of Save Ourselves, and Ross Vincent of the Ecology Center of Louisiana testifying in favor of the creation of DEQ; and State Senator Nat Kiefer, the committee chairman, reporting the bill favorably to the full Senate.