Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

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

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1984-05-08

Duration: 00:25:23

Subjects: Politics | Louisiana. Legislature | Louisiana Legislative Session, 1984 | RIGHT TO WORK | Workers' compensation | Torts | Unemployment insurance | Government | State employee pay raises | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | OIL INDUSTRY | Business | Labor | Unions

Contributors:

• Johnson, Ken Host
• Ekings, Robyn Host
• Crane, Carl Interviewee
• Bruneau, Peppi Interviewee
• Delpit, Joe Interviewee
• Newman, Cliff Speaker
• Authement, Ray Speaker
• Rukeyser, Louis Interviewee
• Stoma, Charles "Bubba" Speaker
• Adams, Reg Interviewee
• Oden, Bob Interviewee
• Vallot, Peter Interviewee
• Fontenot, Gene Interviewee

This episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” from May 8, 1984, features Ken Johnson and Robyn Ekings hosting a daily legislative report on the 1984 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature. Johnson first reports on the day’s headlines. These stories include: interviews with State Representatives Carl Crane, Peppi Bruneau, and Joe Delpit following their meeting with Governor Edwin Edwards to find ways to fund a 10% pay raise for state employees and teachers; State Senator Cliff Newman and Dr. Ray Authement, the president of the University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL), testifying on a bill changing the name of USL to the University of Louisiana; and an interview with Louis Rukeyser of “Wall Street Week” on his outlook for the oil industry. Next, Ekings reports on the Business Day at the Legislature and the opposition of business to the “Big Four” of the labor-management proposals under consideration at the session: the repeal of right to work; the reinstitution of third party tort suits; the repeal of recent changes to workers’ compensation; and the repeal of recent changes to unemployment compensation. Her report includes highlights from lobbyist Charles “Bubba” Stoma’s speech at Business Day, as well as interviews with Reg Adams of the Bossier Chamber of Commerce and Bob Oden of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce. Lastly, Johnson and Ekings conduct an in-studio interview with Peter Vallot, an oil field contractor from Lafayette, and Gene Fontenot, a business contractor from Lake Charles. They discuss: the reasons for their opposition to the “Big Four” bills; Governor Edwin Edwards’ possible involvement in the debate; their concerns over the proposed agency shop bill; and the impact of the constant fighting between business and labor on Louisiana’s economic development efforts.