Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

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

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1985-06-14

Duration: 00:26:37

Subjects: Louisiana. Legislature | Prevailing wage | RIGHT TO WORK | Business | Labor | Bussie, Victor V., 1919-2011 | Politics | Government | Louisiana Legislative Session, 1985 | STATE BUDGET

Contributors:

• Johnson, Ken Host
• Myers, Laura Reporter
• Doucet, Eddie Speaker
• D'Gerolamo, Eddie Speaker
• Reilly, Kevin, Sr. Interviewee
• Russell, Weldon Speaker
• Singleton, James Speaker
• Lowenthal, Margaret Speaker
• Jackson, Alphonse Interviewee
• Laborde, Raymond Interviewee
• Johnson, Jon Speaker
• Lancaster, Charles Speaker
• Hebert, Dennis Interviewee
• Sheridan, Buster Interviewee
• Bussie, Victor Interviewee
• Smith, Charles Interviewee

This episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” from June 14, 1985, features Ken Johnson hosting a daily legislative report on the 1985 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature. Laura Myers first reports on the House Appropriations Committee approving a state budget that includes 5% across-the-board cuts. Her report includes State Representatives Eddie Doucet and Eddie D’Gerolamo debating the budget, as well as an interview with State Representative Kevin Reilly, the chairman of the committee. Johnson then reports on the day’s headlines. These stories include: State Representative Weldon Russell testifying on his bill requiring criminal history checks for all people who supervise children; State Representatives James Singleton and Margaret Lowenthal questioning Russell on his bill; an interview with State Representative Alphonse Jackson on a bill establishing minimum standards for boarding homes for the elderly; an interview with State Representative Raymond Laborde on his bill prohibiting age discrimination in employment; State Representative Jon Johnson testifying on his bill providing jobs to high school dropouts if they agree to return to school; State Representative Charles Lancaster questioning Johnson on his bill; an interview with State Representative Dennis Hebert on the creation of a committee to study apprenticeship programs in the skilled trades; and an interview with State Representative Buster Sheridan on the House approving a merger of the retirement funds for the Louisiana State Police and the Municipal Police Association. Lastly, Myers conducts an in-studio interview with Victor Bussie, the president of the Louisiana AFL-CIO, and Charles Smith, a lobbyist for the construction industry and contractors. They discuss the ongoing debates on repealing the prevailing wage law and making right to work a constitutional amendment.