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Columbia Missourian

State economic development chief confirmation delayed

By The Associated Press
January 30, 2009 | 10:42 a.m. CST

JEFFERSON CITY— Senate confirmation of Gov. Jay Nixon's director of the Department of Economic Development is held up because of the concerns of one senator.

Economic Development nominee Linda Martinez previously worked as an attorney in St. Louis and had business clients who sought economic development incentives.

Sen. Brad Lager, R-Savannah, wants a list of the clients Martinez worked for during the past year to guard against potential conflicts of interest. Martinez says she would recuse herself from making decisions involving those clients.

Senators postponed her confirmation Thursday but are expected to bring it back up next week.

Senators did confirm Nixon's appointees to direct the departments of Agriculture, Corrections, Labor and Industrial Relations, Public Safety and Social Services.