Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

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

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1985-06-27

Duration: 00:27:18

Subjects: Politics | Government | Louisiana. Legislature | Louisiana Legislative Session, 1985 | Education | STATE BUDGET | Environment | Teresa, Mother, 1910-1997 | Asbestos

Contributors:

• Johnson, Ken Host
• Myers, Laura Reporter
• Borne, Leon Speaker
• Alexander, Avery Speaker
• Thompson, Mike Speaker
• Windhorst, Fritz Speaker
• Campbell, Gloria Interviewee
• Swearingen, Lawson Interviewee
• Newman, Cliff Interviewee
• Bradley, C. Allen Speaker
• Bares, Allen Speaker
• Bagneris, Dennis Interviewee
• Oliver, Martha Interviewee
• Osterberger, Ken Interviewee
• Fernandez, Manny Speaker
• Wolbrette, Henri Speaker
• Mother Teresa Speaker
• Ward, John Interviewee
• Fay, Kevin Interviewee

This episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” from June 27, 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 Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) issuing a subpoena to Superintendent of Education Tom Clausen and nine other Department of Education employees related to questionable personnel practices in Special School District 1; State Representative Leon Borne speaking in favor of Clausen’s merit school program bill; and State Representatives Avery Alexander and Mike Thompson debating a bill that will pay teachers more if they are forced to work a longer school day. Laura Myers then reports on the Senate Finance Committee’s ongoing hearings on the state budget and a bipartisan plan to cut $62.4 million from the budget. Her report includes State Senator Fritz Windhorst questioning the funding for Professional Development Centers and interviews with Gloria Campbell, a PDC facilitator, and State Senator Lawson Swearingen. Johnson then continues reporting on the day’s headlines. These stories include: an interview with State Senator Cliff Newman on the capital outlay bill; State Representative C. Allen Bradley testifying on his bill providing $32 million in pay raises for veteran school teachers; State Senator Allen Bares questioning Bradley on the bill; interviews with State Senator Dennis Bagneris and school nurse Martha Oliver on a bill providing for certified nurses in public schools; State Senator Allen Bares discussing the two different mandatory kindergarten bills; an interview with State Senator Ken Osterberger on a bill creating a Sales Tax Board of Appeals for businesses; State Representative Manny Fernandez and lobbyist Henri Wolbrette testifying in the Senate Natural Resources Committee on a bill requiring the state to be compensated for the time state employees spend in cleaning up hazardous waste spills; and Mother Teresa addressing the Legislature on the importance of protecting the unborn child. Lastly, Johnson conducts an in-studio interview with John Ward, the executive counsel for the Louisiana School Boards Association, and Kevin Fay of the Safe Building Alliance. They discuss a bill placing a moratorium on abatement projects removing asbestos from public schools until new standards are released by the Environmental Protection Agency.