Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

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

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1985-05-20

Duration: 00:26:35

Subjects: Politics | Government | Louisiana. Legislature | Louisiana Legislative Session, 1985 | Prison overcrowding | Prisons | Bush, George, 1924- | Day care centers

Contributors:

• Johnson, Ken Host
• Myers, Laura Reporter
• Edwards, Edwin Speaker
• Ullo, Chris Interviewee
• Cain, James David Speaker
• Ackal, Bo Speaker
• Phelps, C. Paul Speaker
• Bussie, Victor Speaker
• Rayburn, B.B. "Sixty" Interviewee
• Bush, George H.W. Speaker
• Cross, Mike Speaker
• Judice, Steve Speaker
• Trufant, Anne Interviewee
• Pereboom, Margaret Interviewee

This episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” from May 20, 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 House approving a bill lifting the 4% state sales tax on Superdome events; Governor Edwin Edwards briefing the Senate on the New Orleans Saints deal; an interview with State Representative Chris Ullo on the House Ways and Means Committee approving a $1.3 billion capital outlay bill; and an interview with Governor Edwards on the possibility that he will call a special session to raise taxes. Next, Laura Myers reports on the House Appropriations Committee’s approval of a bill allowing private businesses to build new prisons and lease them to the state. Her report includes: testimony by State Representative James David Cain, the bill’s sponsor; comments by State Representative Bo Ackal; and testimony by Secretary C. Paul Phelps of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections and Victor Bussie of the Louisiana AFL-CIO. Johnson then reports on more of the day’s headlines, including an interview with State Senator B.B. “Sixty” Rayburn, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, on funding for the Causeway Commission and highlights of Vice President George Bush speaking at a fundraiser for Congressman Henson Moore’s 1986 Senate campaign. Next, Johnson reports on a Senate committee approving a bill requiring the mandatory licensing of day care centers, including testimony by State Senator Mike Cross and Steve Judice of the Family Life Federation. He also conducts an in-studio interview with Anne Trufant of Hosanna House and Margaret Pereboom of the Commission on Children. They discuss their positions on the day care center bill.