Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

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

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1997-05-30

Duration: 00:25:29

Subjects: Government | Education | HIGHER EDUCATION | Louisiana. Legislature | Louisiana Legislative Session, 1997 | Politics

Contributors:

• Collins, Robert Host
• Duhe, Jeff Reporter
• Savoie, Joe Interviewee
• Picard, Cecil Interviewee
• Bruneau, Peppi Speaker
• Landry, Ron Speaker
• Short, Phil Speaker
• Jenkins, Woody Speaker
• Adams, Pete Speaker
• Andonie, Jack Speaker
• Ogden, Melissa Speaker
• Romero, Craig Speaker
• Riddle, Charles Speaker
• Shaw, B. L. Speaker
• Marionneaux, Rob Speaker
• Pratt, Renee Speaker
• Bowler, Shirley Speaker
• Alario, John Interviewee

This episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” from May 30, 1997, features Robert Collins and Jeff Duhe reporting on the week’s events at the ninth week of the 1997 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature. Collins first conducts an in-studio interview with Commissioner of Higher Education Joe Savoie and State Superintendent of Education Cecil Picard. They discuss: the funding for teacher pay raises; the focus on early childhood education; the funding for higher education; the proposed changes to the powers of the Board of Regents; and teacher training. Duhe then recaps the major action at the State Capitol, including: State Representative Peppi Bruneau testifying on his shoot the carjacker bill and his bill mandating sentences for cocaine dealers; State Senator Ron Landry questioning Bruneau on his bill allowing judges to sentence criminals to pay for their own incarceration; State Senator Phil Short presenting his bill taking away welfare benefits for parents who do not attend their child’s parent-teacher conferences; State Representative Woody Jenkins questioning Pete Adams of the Louisiana District Attorneys Association on a bill making it illegal for kids to own guns; Dr. Jack Andonie, OB/GYN, and Melissa Ogden of Planned Parenthood testifying on a bill banning partial birth abortion; State Senator Craig Romero presenting his bill requiring the labeling of Chinese crawfish; State Representatives Charles Riddle and B. L. Shaw debating a bill strengthening penalties for Medicaid fraud; State Representative Rob Marionneaux presenting his bill enacting term limits for members of boards and commissions; State Representative Renee Pratt questioning State Representative Shirley Bowler on her bill regulating the information that school-based health clinics can give to students about abortion and contraception; and an interview with State Representative John Alario on the capital outlay bill.