Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

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

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1984-04-25

Duration: 00:25:25

Subjects: Politics | Government | Louisiana. Legislature | Louisiana Legislative Session, 1984 | Louisiana World Exposition (1984: New Orleans, La.) | Elections, 1984 | United States presidential election, 1984 | Jackson, Jesse, 1941- | Capital Punishment | Crime

Contributors:

• Johnson, Ken Host
• Ekings, Robyn Host
• Sevario, Joseph Speaker
• Nunez, Sammy Speaker
• Copelin, Sherman Speaker
• Sinclair, Billy Interviewee
• Connick, Harry, Sr. Interviewee
• Rideau, Wilbert Interviewee
• Baldwin, Timothy Interviewee
• Delpit, Joe Interviewee
• Bolin, Bruce Interviewee

This episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” from April 25, 1984, features Robyn Ekings and Ken Johnson hosting a daily legislative report on the 1984 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature. Johnson reports on the day’s headlines, including: State Senator Joseph Sevario and Senate President Sammy Nunez debating the $10 million bailout of the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans; Sherman Copelin, the campaign coordinator for Jesse Jackson, discussing Jackson’s chances of winning Louisiana’s Democratic Presidential Primary on May 5th; and a decline in Louisiana’s unemployment rate. Next, Johnson reports on capital punishment in Louisiana. Lastly, Ekings and Johnson conduct an in-studio interview with State Representative Joe Delpit, the Speaker Pro Temp, and State Representative Bruce Bolin, the chairman of the House Criminal Justice Committee. They discuss: the proposal to abolish the death penalty in Louisiana; whether the death penalty serves as a deterrent to violent crime; the high rate of public defenders trying death penalty cases; and whether the death penalty is a fairly applied law.