Talk Louisiana

(Wikimedia Commons)Dan Collins is a Baton Rouge land man who has been battling the state in court over environmental violations he uncovered while working for the Department of Natural Resources. Collins talks about his whistle-blower lawsuit regarding Bayou Postillion.Also on today's program: WRKF's own Capitol Access reporter Sue Lincoln gets us up to speed on this week's happenings at the state capitol, including the governor's revelation of his tax reform plan, here.

(YouTube)Elliott Stonecipher, veteran pollster and demographer, analyzes why, since the 1970s, Louisiana has lagged behind other states, including those in the South, in population growth. Stonecipher takes calls from listeners illustrating loved ones who have left Louisiana for opportunity and other reasons.Stonecipher also examines how the tax proposal by Gov. John Bel Edwards will resonate with lawmakers and the electorate and explains why he sees a correlation between taxation and population stagnation.Also on today's program: Dan Collins talks about battling environmental violations he uncovered while working for the state Department of Natural Resources, here.

(WAFB Facebook)We hear from Matt Williams, WAFB-TV's morning show host and crime stoppers reporter. Williams discusses efforts to lower the homicide rate in Baton Rouge and what impact the perception of where crime happens and who is affected by crime has on our response to fixing underlying institutional problems that lead to crime.Also on today's program: Secretary of State Tom Schedler speaks about voter registration rates and voting turnout, here.

Historian David Nichols talks about his book, "Ike and McCarthy: Dwight Eisenhower's Secret Campaign against Joseph McCarthy," analyzing the feud between our 34th President and the most powerful member of Congress. Nichols addresses how this historical lesson about McCarthyism is applicable to contemporary battles on Capitol Hill.Also on today's program: Secretary of State Tom Schedler speaks about voter registration rates and voting turnout, here.

(Sue Lincoln)Secretary of State Tom Schedler addresses concerns about voter fraud in elections. He also details his efforts to register as many citizens to vote as possible in the state. Shedler says Louisiana boasts one of the highest voter registration rates in the nation, but getting those voters to turn out at the polls is an entirely different idea.Also on today's program: WAFB's Matt Williams talks crime in Baton Rouge, here.

(Office of Congressman Trey Radel)Former U.S. Rep. Trey Radel, a Republican from Florida, recaps a two-year period in which he went from being a popular television anchor to being a congressman to getting convicted for cocaine possession. Radel has put his story about the political process in a book, "Democrazy: A True Story of Weird Politics, Money, Madness, and Finger Food."The former congressman was a talk radio host, television anchor, and a newspaper publisher before representing Florida's 19th congressional district. Radel says a series of bad choices ended with him losing it all after a drug arrest. He says while he's cynical of the politics in general in general and despite today's environment of partisanship, there are good people in congress trying to do good things for our country.Also on today's program: Public Affairs Research Council President Robert Travis Scott and State Rep. Steve Carter (R-Baton Rouge) talked about taxes, here.

(Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana)Gov. John Bel Edwards plans to unveil his tax plan today. Public Affairs Research Council President Robert Travis Scott will help us analyze the tax plan and assess its impact on Louisiana businesses.Also joining us for this segment, we have State Rep. Steve Carter (R-Baton Rouge), who will discuss his push for a 17-cent gasoline tax to help restore state roads and bridges.Also on today's program: Former U.S. Rep. Trey Radel, a Republican from Florida, speaks on his two-year journey from into and out of politics, here.

(CPB)Today's featured guest was Beth Courtney, President and CEO of Louisiana Public Broadcasting. Courtney is a former Vice Chair for the Corporation of Public Broadcasting and has testified before Congress on numerous occasions.President Trump is proposing the elimination of all federal funding for CPB, which supports NPR and PBS. WRKF is a member station of NPR; LPB is a member station of PBS. Today, Courtney addresses the options available to retain support for public broadcasting and answers your questions about your local PBS station.

(YouTube)Best-selling author Greg Iles is a resident of Natchez. He has taken unsolved killings of black men in the South during the Civil Rights struggle to heart with his latest novel, "Mississippi Blood." We talk with Iles about his novel and the history behind it.

We took a couple of minutes out of our inaugural episode of Talk Louisiana to speak with Paul Maassen, General Manager and President at WRKF in Baton Rouge and also General Manager at WWNO in New Orleans. Maassen says he wants to see programs like Talk Louisiana become a place where we can have a thoughtful, civil discussion about politics, public affairs, and current events.

(Restore Louisiana Now)Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré joins us for the inaugural edition of Talk Louisiana. Honoré, who was regarded as a hero in leading the recovery from Hurricane Katrina, is now leading a group of environmental activists at the State Capitol. Honoré's Green Army will be active in the upcoming legislative session, pushing environmental reform. Honoré discusses the goals of the Green Army and provides his impressions about the state and national political system.

Jim Engster is returning to WRKF to host new program, Talk Louisiana, weekdays at 9:00 a.m., beginning Monday, March 27. The one-hour show will immediately follow Morning Edition. Talk Louisiana will present interviews with local newsmakers, calls and emails from listeners, and original feature reporting. We are excited to have Jim back. His 30 years of experience in journalism and his knowledge of Louisiana's people, business, and politics are ideal for this type of long form discussion program.Jim Engster previously hosted The Jim Engster Show on WRKF from 2004 to 2014 and currently hosts Ask the Governor, a monthly call-in show. Ask the Governor can be heard every third Wednesday of the month, at 2 p.m. on WRKF and radio stations throughout the state.In addition to the weekday morning broadcast, live on 89.3 FM, streaming live at wrkf.org, and streaming live on the WRKF APp, Talk Louisiana with Jim Engster will also be available as a podcast on the WRKF App.NPR’s national issues and public affairs program, 1A, will continue on WRKF, following Talk Louisiana at 10 a.m.