Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

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

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1985-05-21

Duration: 00:26:32

Subjects: Politics | Government | Louisiana. Legislature | Louisiana Legislative Session, 1985 | Gambling | CASINOS

Contributors:

• Johnson, Ken Host
• Myers, Laura Reporter
• Bajoie, Diana Speaker
• Theriot, Sam Speaker
• Reilly, Kevin, Sr. Interviewee
• Fernandez, Manny Speaker
• Dastugue, Quentin Interviewee
• Bagert, Ben Speaker
• Forster, Garey Speaker
• Nicholson, Elwyn Speaker
• Barthelemy, Sidney Interviewee
• Ward, Ken Interviewee

This episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” from May 21, 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: State Representatives Diana Bajoie and Sam Theriot speaking in favor of a bill requiring ride inspections at amusement parks and carnivals; an interview with State Representative Kevin Reilly, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, on the state budget deficit; State Representative Manny Fernandez testifying in favor of his bill repealing the forced heirship law; and an interview with State Representative Quentin Dastugue on his bill giving the Legislature control over the state’s levee districts. Next, Laura Myers reports on the Senate Judiciary C Committee’s approval of a bill legalizing casino gambling in the old Wildlife and Fisheries building in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Her report includes State Senators Ben Bagert, Garey Forster, and Elwyn Nicholson testifying in favor of the bill, as well as testimony by opponents of the bill. Lastly, Johnson conducts an in-studio interview with New Orleans City Councilman Sidney Barthelemy and Ken Ward, the executive director of the Louisiana Moral and Civic Foundation. They discuss their positions on the casino gambling bill.