The Alabama Security Regulatory Board recently began transitioning Keith Warren and some of his staff to State employees.
The change was discussed at a recent board meeting earlier in May. Smith Warren and other private companies and individuals who contract with state licensing boards to provide administrative services have been criticized by legislators in recent years. Legislation to consolidate some of the licensing boards managed by private entities into a single state agency has been filed in previous sessions but hasn’t garnered enough support to pass into law.
Warren told 1819 News the change would eliminate professional services contracts, provide more accountability to the boards and the State regarding personnel and costs and place employees under the guidelines of the State Personnel Board.
“This transition is a positive move for all parties, state, board(s), and staff,” Warren said.
Warren said his administrative services company, Keith Warren & Company Inc., LLC, was dissolved “in error” in April. A filing on the Secretary of State’s site now says the LLC exists again.
“The Resolution of Dissolution was filed in error. I filed a dissolution of the company in the State of Illinois since I will no longer be providing services in that state. The registered agent filed it in Alabama as well, and the mistake is being corrected with the Secretary of State's office,” Warren said.
State Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Josephine), a proponent of consolidating licensing boards into one state agency, called the idea to bring Warren and staff on as State employees for the Alabama Security Regulatory Board a “horrible idea.”
He said the board is up before the Joint Legislative Sunset Committee this summer. The committee can “sunset” or place boards under new leadership if they don’t like the direction the board is headed.
“It’s a horrible idea because he has a proven record of screwing up every board he touches. The concept that we should somehow or another make him or his staff state employees is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” Elliott said. “My warning to the Security Regulatory Board is you’re up before the sunset committee this summer and you may not be a board much longer if you do this, you may cease to exist.”
The Security Regulatory Board licenses security guards and security trainers in Alabama.
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