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