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Oklahoma
State Senate
Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
For Immediate Release: February 7, 2012
Sen. Patrick Anderson
Anderson Opposes Plan for Higher Ed to issue bond
for new Medical Examiner’s Building
When the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Education meets
Wednesday, members are expected to review a package of bond proposals
the Regents of Higher Education will issue this year. Sen.
Patrick Anderson is voicing his opposition to the package because
it includes a $42 million request from the University of Central
Oklahoma (UCO) to construct a 45,000 square foot building for the
State Medical Examiner’s Office.
“The Real Property Master Lease Program was designed to allow
colleges and universities to fix roofs and replace air conditioners—not
construct new buildings for other state agencies,” said Anderson,
R-Enid. “In my mind, this is an intentional attempt to circumvent
the legislative process. By utilizing the Master Lease Program,
a $42 million bond may be issued without most legislators even knowing
that it happened, because only the governor, the speaker of the
house and the senate president pro tem are required to be notified
of the projects.”
Anderson said this very same bond issue was attempted last year,
however Sen. Jim Halligan, chairman of the subcommittee, held a
hearing on the projects and it was discovered that the bond issue
for the Medical Examiner’s Office was placed on the list at
the request of a legislator—not the university. The university
president subsequently removed the project from the list, but now
the project has resurfaced.
“There may very well be a need to build a new Medical Examiner’s
facility, but this is not the proper way to address this issue.
Furthermore, I question the need to construct any building at the
cost of $933 per square foot,” Anderson said.
The subcommittee meeting has been scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday
in room 419-C of the State Capitol.
Info on bond request for Medical Examiner's
building
For more information contact:
Sen. Anderson: (405) 521-5630
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