Gov says Fair reports will spark action

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Gov. Mitch Daniels is finally speaking out about the investigative reports released last week regarding the collapse of stage rigging last summer at the Indiana State Fair. The state will be considering new regulations in the wake of those reports, but even before that, Daniels said, any temporary structure would face extra scrutiny

Those reports were harshly critical of the stage rigging design as well as the State Fair's lack of emergency planning.

An exhaustive investigation completed by Witt Associates revealed State Fair leaders were completely unprepared for an emergency. The report concludes: "The [Indiana State Fair Commission] did not follow an emergency operations plan."

In fact, investigators found that on Aug. 13, “the severe weather forecasts did not trigger a concern for public safety or a need for law enforcement command and control until approximately 15 minutes before the collapse."

Lack of preparation and inaction were two of several factors that cost lives. Since the release of the damning reports, the governor has been largely silent on the issue - until now.

"I gave instruction [Tuesday] morning to the Department of Homeland Security that we want to know anywhere in the state of Indiana where anyone is contemplating a temporary structure," Daniels said. "We want to make sure that is looked at even before we have new code in place. So we appreciate the work that was done, and we intend to have it acted on immediately and forcefully."

But what about accountability? Even though the Witt Associates report points to a failure of State Fair leadership, no leader has lost his or her job after the accident that took the lives of seven people and injured dozens of others. Does the governor believe someone should be fired?

"Maybe someone will," Daniels responded. "But that will all be part of the restructuring decisions that are about to start now."

That is the first hint given that a State Fair leader might be asked to resign. However, the governor made it clear he does not believe that resignation should come from the chairman of the commission.

When I-Team 8 asked whether Chairman Andre Lacy had offered his resignation, the governor said: "No, but I wouldn't have accepted it. I think he's just the right thing to drive the changes over there."

So that begs the question: Does the governor believe Executive Director Cindy Hoye should keep her job? Hoye offered to resign, but commissioners refused to accept her resignation. Does the governor agree with that decision?

"I think the commission did the right thing at this point," the governor responded.

While ending his sentence with the phrase, "at this point," was curious, the governor did not state whether he believes Hoye's leadership is right for the State Fair moving forward.