Louisiana: The State We're In; 781

Oh. They make up over half the state's population but just a fraction of our elected officials. Louisiana women say they're learning to play the game. And this legislative session they're flexing their political muscle. Good evening I'm Ken Johnson and I'm Robin acking Thanks for joining us for Tuesday's edition of Louisiana the state we're in. Well Louisiana lawmakers who are hoping to get out of town by the end of the week may have run into some roadblocks. Today members of the Senate Finance Committee after receiving more than three hundred proposed amendments to the state's six billion dollar operating budget threw up their hands and call it a

day. Committee chairman Senator Beebe 60 Raeburn of the vote said there are simply too many amendments to the budget and too little money to go around. Meanwhile another Senate committee tacked on 200 million dollars worth of new projects to the state's capital outlay bill. Many members of the House are opposed to adding any more money to either the appropriations bill or the capital outlay bill. So it's looking more and more as if this 1994 session which began with a big fight over money may end the same way. OK in another battle that's extending into the final days of the session involves an effort to require licensing of all child care centers in Louisiana. Supporters of mandatory licensing say it's needed to protect children who are kept in the centers. Opponents of many representing centers run by churches say children are already protected by a long list of state regulations. A bill to require mandatory licensing was sent to a House Senate conference committee today. This measure is the cornerstone of a package of bills being backed by women's groups from across the state. Tonight we'll talk about what issues are important to women this session. Joining us in our studio Maurice Durbin a lobbyist for the Louisiana Women's Network. And

Senator Don Kelly from Necker dish. Robin tomorrow the Senate Finance Committee is expected to begin voting on proposed amendments to the state's huge appropriations bill which would be nearly 200 million dollars in the red if all of the amendments were approved. That's not likely to happen but it will take time to wade through all of the amendments. And right now lawmakers don't have much time or money to spare. Well yesterday we had received some 373 amendment which totaled about a hundred and six to seven million dollars about one hundred fifty three. Jenna found the memo so reflect that all of us after a revenue. And we're trying to get everybody already knows the budget is out of balance as in its present form without any amendment. So we've got an awful lot of work to do and I hope to be able to stop. Remember when the bill came that nothing could be added to the bill if he expected to have a balanced budget. What's

going to happen to get in the budget. To fall by the wayside because the bill and its president and all everybody every day out about it. I'm dedicating 11 million we have a revolution suspending seven million it was certified to receive $10 each year with the language you have to ride it in a time when you come in and as they were projected to cut the budget time. The Legislative Fiscal office is now predicting that the Louisiana World's Fair will lose money even if it attracts more people than expected and cuts expenses according to the

findings of an 11 page report. The fair will lose at least 66 million dollars and that's based on average daily attendance of 52000 through the remainder of the fair. Right now the fare is only averaging about 42000 people a day. On a brighter note State Labor officials say the fare helped create more than 2000 new jobs from April to May. And that in turn helped keep Louisiana's unemployment rate from going up. In May the jobless rate stood at eight point nine percent the same as it was in April but that's considerably better than a year ago when unemployment in Louisiana reached twelve point three percent. In other news today out of the capital the fight over the licensing of child care centers has moved to a conference committee. Now the Senate has approved one bill calling for mandatory licensing. The House bill calls for voluntary licensing representative Alphonso Jackson of Shreveport is one of those hoping that a compromise can be worked on it. The conference committee will reflect three basic

things first of all our concern for the protection of children. And secondly to recognize that this is a very serious problem as it relates to working people. And poor people in general and the society as a whole. And therefore we must move quickly to resolve the difficult as it relates to the day care and to move to pass the strongest possible bill that will protect the interest of children I. Am concerned about children being subjected to corporal punishment. And being housed in unsanitary unsafe environments and I think that we have to move quickly to do something about that I'm going to work hard in fact. A conference committee report that would

focus on the child. And hopefully we can tone down some of the rhetoric and move quickly now to put this matter address in a manner that would be suitable and acceptable to all of the parties. Well on another matter it doesn't appear as if Louisiana will be getting rid of the electric chair any time soon at least not until the Supreme Court hands down a ruling on the use of lethal injections. Today Senator Nat Keifer sent a letter to the house Criminal Justice Committee asking members not to consider his bill to scrap the electric chair in favor of lethal injections. Kiefer said he still supports the change but he doesn't want to do anything until the Supreme Court issues a ruling on whether deadly injections are a humane way to carry out capital punishment. While that bill is dead for this session another one has been revived. Earlier this month the House of Representatives killed an effort to raise the state's legal drinking age to 21. But now in the wake of threats by Congress to cut off federal funds to states that do not raise the minimum drinking age lawmakers are reconsidering their position.

Today the House criminal justice committee unanimously approved a second bill sponsored by Representative John Johnson of New Orleans. Over the next three years what would happen is the drinking age in the state of Louisiana under my bill would be increase from 18 to 21. It is my understanding that the federal law that is presently being debated in the U.S. Senate has a provision in it that would make the bill mandatory for all states to increase the age by 1987. Our law would be phased in over a three year period of time and it would be just in time to comply with the federal law in order to keep the state of Louisiana from losing any highway funds. Earlier in the session another bill to raise the drinking age did not have much success. The House decided to table that matter it seems that the congressional action that's going on right now has made a bit of difference. I think it probably has made somewhat of a somewhat of a difference when the federal government starts threatening to cut off federal funds I think it does have somewhat of an impact

upon state legislatures. Louisiana's is one of only three states in the nation that still has a drinking age that is at 18. We should have increased the drinking age. Some time ago it is a law that was passed back in one thousand forty eight. They statistical evidence indicates to us that individuals between the ages of 18 and 21 whenever they are involved in automobile accidents the accidents are almost always alcoholic related. It's just time for us to increase it. I think the best way to do it is to phase it in. And that way we would accommodate the federal law and increase the drinking age from 18 to 21 at the same time. While bills to raise the drinking age in Louisiana have up until today met with strong opposition a package of bills dealing with issues affecting women has been doing better than expected between 30 and 40 bills were introduced this session dealing with a variety of areas from licensing child care centers to protecting women from beatings or other abuse at home to toughening up the state's Child Support

laws. Although the session is not over the supporters of the package say they're very pleased with the progress so far. It's hard to say at this point because there are several bills still pending in both the House and the Senate but we've done fairly well with the child support legislation it's been a real education educating legislators up here about the issue of child support and how many deaths are outstanding from absent parents. And we've been fairly successful with that daycare licensing we still are a cost that we can work out some compromise in the conference committees where that bill is now and that's been sort of the cornerstone of the women's package. Legislation has gone through increasing penalties for forcible rape and aggravated rape that's been passed so we've been I guess at this point we can say about 75 percent successful with our package where there always seems to be difficulty where there still is a serious the area of domestic violence and increasing penalties and we're getting tougher with people who better their wives or their spouses of what do you think that is. It's been a very sensitive area I guess.

People have felt like the home should be off limits to law enforcement the problem is that some of the most violent crimes are occurring within the home battering spouses and battering children and it's a matter of time until we can begin to educate a legislature that has been very hesitant to pass laws in this particular area. We've been very successful with our funding the governor could not be more supportive of funding the bureau for women so that we can begin to open centers and support centers throughout the state a refuge for battered women and children. But the laws was where we're a little bit weak and we've been not as successful as I would like to share with some of our package but next year and over some time I hope we can be more successful. Several bills still awaiting final action this session. How have women's issues fair this legislative session tonight. Well try and come up with some answers. Joining us in our studio tonight are Maurice Durbin a lobbyist for the Louisiana Women's Network. And Senator Don Kelley of negative. Mr. But I guess the most current issue being debated in the legislature is the issue of

the licensing of child care centers that Bill has been sent to a conference committee and the Women's Network has supported mandatory licensing of child care centers. What do you see as the outcome of that debate. Well I think we'll probably have an amendment placed down in the conference committee perhaps one that exempts the church childcare centers and then sent back to the House floor again and. I really don't see any reason why we couldn't Passat something like that this year. That of course that's not what we would like to do but that would be a starting point. Is that acceptable there are a lot of church affiliated centers in Louisiana that would leave out a lot of the centers that are the backers of the bill wanted to protect the children. Well I don't think it would really be the best way to go I think that the sinner should have the same kind of rules and regulations to follow whether they're Church regulated or not. But if that is the true Iggs true opposition from the religious groups then I think that that would pass the bill.

Senator of course this points up what happens many times in the legislature. The Senate approves of one bill in this case to provide mandatory licensing of child care centers. The House comes out with another cannot be worked out in conference committee. And what do you see as the outcome. Well I would I would think it could be worked out in conference especially for those proponents of the bill. If they don't work out some compromise within the conference committee on that they could will lose the bill. So you know that's part of the legislative process when you can't get. Your way all the way won't you back up and take a second look. So I would think that. What Maurice was saying in his own. You know is a feasible feasible alternative to getting a bill out. You have seen this in the past where we've had mandatory regulation at one time then we drifted away from that and now we're proposing it again in the years that have gone by since we've last had it have you seen changes.

Is there a real need for mandatory licensing in your opinion. I can't personally say that there is because I met with the exception of being contacted by constituents on both sides and most of them who contact me in favor of the liason proposal contacted me from a philosophical standpoint not necessarily from a situation that is happened in our particular area. I'm not up here to say that it hasn't happened in other areas. On the other hand I mean I have been contacted by a great number of religious groups which in my particular district I mean we have a good number of religious organizations and that have screw some of them. Some of them even have high school or elementary school academy type school so. You know hopefully. The proponents of the bill the opposition will be able to come up with a bill that they can live with.

Of course Mr. Boone there are a great deal of issues affecting women that are being discussed in the legislature this year in addition to child care center licensing child support domestic violence. If you could sum it up for how are the women doing this session in terms of a score card what areas are they doing best in the various pieces of legislation that have been introduced. I think we're doing terrific. I'm just really pleased with the success that we've been having. One of my favorite pieces of legislation is a child support bill that's already passed we're waiting for the governor to sign it and it would simply make child support retroactive to the date of rather than to the date of judgment and I think that that's going to make a big difference because a lot of times in the courts we see delay tactics a lot of continuances and this will stop some of that. Of course child support is is an area that's often easier for legislators to vote for. Getting tougher in those laws but domestic violence is always one area that I seem to remember that's a very difficult to get any topic types of reform through to protect women or spouses who are beaten by their spouses.

Well sometimes it's hard for them to understand if they don't have the personal problems in sale for someone close to them that had that type of problem. But we in Louisiana do happen to have one of the better domestic valance programs we have an act that was passed. Two years ago. And we go back every year and add a little more to it as we go along we see some of the additions that should be made in the past two more appeals to strengthen up the laws regarding that. So I'm real pleased with the balance programs that's not to say we don't have a lot of work to do because domestic violence is a problem in Louisiana as it is all over the nation. SENATOR KELLY When Governor Edwards came into office for a third time he made it very clear that he was going to use more minorities he was going to appoint more women to high ranking positions and in fact he did that one of his first appointments was Stephanie Alexander is a commission of administration at the time as Alexander said she thought she would have some trouble convincing some legislators and some state officials to take her seriously has she earned her spurs stay away thinking like she has.

I've been in meetings with her for the last two days on the job or operation mill and the capital outlay billing on that. You know she is the commissioner of administration is for them. And John. I mean that's the way we we handle it. Well I'd say I don't care if you're a man or a woman when you jump into a job like that irregardless of the fact that we were facing a 4 500 million dollar deficit at the time it's a tough job. It's a tough job. I don't care who you are. But I think that the. She's displayed to me the ability to handle the job and so be she man a woman and I think that you know she's displayed her ability. And I think that the legislate DAWs take her serious. She's a very easy lady to work with as a founder very easy to work with and have women that you work with have. Has it been a change a noticeable change having someone like that in the number two position in state government. Well I think anytime you have women in a visible position and state governments going to make it easier for the

other women because if nothing else they serve as role models and I think we we can't look to those women to help us specifically with our programs because they have to do you know a job vacancy concerns a lot of broader issues. But I think it has helped us a lot and I think she's done a good job insist on it and. I'm real pleased. I think the governor has definitely lived up to his promise that he would appoint more women. And I'm pleased with there. Was still of course one thing that we don't have is a woman in the Senate. You know we have about five women in the house a senator Kelly what seems to be in your in your mind there was one woman in the Senate I believe at one time. Why not the Senate why can't women seem to get into the Senate. You know I have to ask the constituents that we can. We can in the appointed position. And in the case of Governor Ed Woods. I think that can be handled. It's almost like a farmer you might say. But in the election process I don't know the answer to that I mean I know that they're

there just as many qualified women vailable for service as men. But why they're not in the Senate I cannot answer that. When I came to the Senate in 19 seventy six of course. She was. She came at the same time that I did. So I mean I had the pleasure of serving with. A woman senator Kelly one thing we've noticed too in the legislature and not only in talking about women that are lawmakers and women that are a point of State officials also effective lobbyist and there are a great many women who serve effectively as a lobbyist and beverage. Oh absolutely. For instance I think this is the first year that Maurice's has lobbied for the network. And it's been compensation for like it's been very effective for the network and there are numerous women

active in the midst of it is something new we've seen women up here lobbying for various women's groups in the past but you are the first paid lobbyist who is up here full time. Has that made a difference and how has it made a difference. I think it's made a big difference. Like you said for one thing I can be here full time when it's done on a volunteer basis. You have to go back and forth between your jobs and your families in a full time paid job makes it easier. It's good to be here all the time you can keep up with the issues you get to know the legislators better and like I was telling Senator Kelly you can about no against us and have us go away because you know going to be there on a daily basis and they deal with you differently when you're there every day you can depend on you for answers and help with other issues. It's a difference what actually is the Louisiana Women's Network and what are you trying to accomplish when you're in Baton Rouge. It's a group of women and individuals who are concerned with legislation that affects children and women. And like all other lobbies we have to have someone who's down at the legislature on a full time basis because it's not that the legislate tours are

insensitive or uncaring but special interests have their own lobbyist and we have to have somebody there to take care of our legislation to say you just don't get pushed aside. And Senator Kelly you've taken up several bills yourself that you are leading the fight on bills that are still waiting in the house I believe for action in lation to a domestic violence and domestic sexual battery. Can you tell me the one of those bills is a very important bill that I would think that the network is extremely interested in the sexual battery Bill of course which we remove spouses from that was a primary thing. Now why is this important what situation is this important you tell about what change it would make and what instances it would make important change oh it's it's a fairly simple change under the existing law. A spouse cannot be guilty cannot be charged with a crime of sexual battery. Well you know and I know that the fact that men and women are husbands and wives doesn't prohibit violence. So this

will provide an outlet for the District Attorneys for law enforcement to. To put some teeth in that level. The house always seems to take a more reserved attitude as it were towards these type of bills domestic violence and sexual battery bills what do you think the chances are they always seem to be more resistant to make these changes. I really can't say I don't know what the prognosis is over in the House side I would I would hope that it's going to be good. I've not heard a great deal of opposition though which I have not had House members come into millions. It's a bad bill we don't kill it. You know I haven't run into that. Well the same token I haven't been over there walking the Maurice you must have noticed more of the women's bills going down in the house why do you think that is you have the Senate 39 members representing the same state of Louisiana and over a hundred members in the House representing the same state yet they don't seem as willing to pass issues that

women women's groups back. Why do you think that is. I suppose it's because the house represents a smaller group of constituencies and maybe that smaller group changes much slower than a senatorial district does for instance and take in your senator you can look at a broad much broader area and when you do that the more progressive the house comes along with its much lower. One women's issue we have not heard much about is what happened to it every year we hear the ladies of come trooping up here both for and against and they have their say they'd have their day they go home and we forget about for another year what happened to it. Maybe you forgot that. He is definitely still around though right now he has to be passed through the Congress first. And meanwhile those of us who were treated equal rights in Nam are still at the legislature working for one by one. Issues that affect women and

children and until it's passed on a nationwide basis that's what we'll continue to do piecemeal right away. We do have a new legislature now do you think the tone of the legislature has changed and maybe Louisiana will become one of those ratifying states that it was not last time around. Well if you noticed this past week in Louisiana ratified the D.C. Amendment and I think that should tell you something about the tone of the legislature the change in it and from the success that we've had with our issues I think that the House which is what we've had our problems before has really changed drastically. Senator Kelly would it stand a better chance this time around or next time around. I'm not convinced it would. In fact a minister it's been my observation. In the legislature and on the mores probably wouldn't agree with me on this but I'm a this is mobster violation. It's my opinion I think that that issue has been losing ground in the legislatures.

Mr. Urban Senator Kelly would like to thank both of you for being with us this evening. Certainly more and more women all over the state are raising their voices and they're being heard. Robin tomorrow we could have a vote on the proposed bailout for the 1984 World's Fair. That's right Ken they're still counting the votes in the House a vote possibly tomorrow maybe even Thursday and that of course will have a complete report on all that goes on at the legislature tomorrow night at the same time until then I'm Robyn and I'm Ken Johnson thanks for joining us. Good night.