Membership Of OSU Regents Under Fire Again

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) _ Years after the Oklahoma Farm Bureau questioned the composition of Oklahoma State University's governing board, its makeup has become an issue again as it tries to acquire

Monday, October 16th 2006, 8:45 am

By: News On 6

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) _ Years after the Oklahoma Farm Bureau questioned the composition of Oklahoma State University's governing board, its makeup has become an issue again as it tries to acquire property for a new athletic village.

OSU's Board of Regents have sued a real estate investor to get the last piece of land the university needs for the village.

But Kevin and Joel McCloskey of McCloskey Brothers Incorporated say regents cannot take their land through eminent domain because most of them are not farmers.

OSU said earlier this month the issue is irrelevant to the eminent domain case. A 1987 state attorney general's opinion says actions by an unconstitutionally composed board remain valid.

The state Constitution requires most of the eight regents appointed by the governor to be farmers.