Oklahoma State Senate
Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105

For Immediate Release: July 3, 2008

Senators Critical of Construction Board Hire

State Senators Debbe Leftwich and Harry Coates on Thursday criticized the Construction Industries Board’s (CIB) recent hiring of an interim director. As co-chairs of the Senate Business and Labor committee, the legislators said it’s time for the CIB to quit stalling and hire a permanent director.

“The Board has had months to fill this position and it makes no sense for them to hire an interim director when they’ve had so many good applicants,” said Leftwich, D-Oklahoma City. “It’s my understanding that they were looking at applicants from out-of-state when there are qualified candidates that live in Oklahoma.”

The CIB has been accepting applications for the position for at least four months.

“This agency is too important not to have a permanent director. They’ve already gone without one for too long,” said Coates, R-Seminole. “Further delaying hiring a director only diminishes this agency’s ability to deal with the many issues concerning construction around the state.”

The legislators were also frustrated with the fact that the person hired, Jerry Regier, has already resigned from two state agency positions in Oklahoma and Florida for ethical impropriety.

“This agency is acting like a typical bureaucracy, which has lost its focus and is becoming derelict in performing its duties,” said Leftwich.

“Taxpayers are fed up with with agency directors who are not operating in an ethical manner,” said Coates. “Therefore, hiring someone with a questionable background is extremely irresponsible.”

For more information contact:
Sen. Leftwich's Office: (405) 521-5557
Sen. Coates' Office: (405) 521-5547