The state’s labor commissioner spent time Thursday discussing the many areas that fall under the purview of her department.

However, she also spent time expressing her desire for politics to return to its former civil self.

“We have to get back to not spending 50 percent of the time on bathrooms and spend it fixing our roads,” said Leslie Osborn in an address to the Kingfisher Rotary Club.

Osborn was touching on the frayed current state of politics.

“We are living in a horrifying time with a lack of civility if people don’t think like us,” she said. “We used to not have to hate the other side.”

Osborn is a Republican who just last week was voted into a second four-year term heading the Oklahoma Department of Labor.

An Oklahoma State University graduate, she spent 10 years as a District 47 (portions of Grady and Canadian counties) state representative before being elected to her current post in 2018.

Labor commissioners can only serve two terms.

Part of improving the state, she said, is making it more attractive to outside businesses.

“When you’re in the bottom-five in roads and bridges, in health care and education, it makes it hard to get companies to come here,” she said. “We need to think about the policies we make at the Capitol.

“We have to get back to not spending 50 percent of the time talking about bathrooms and spend it fixing our roads.”

Like many states, several industries in Oklahoma have a worker shortage.

Osborn is able to pinpoint a big cause for Oklahoma’s issue.

In 2018, the state’s medical marijuana referendum was passed.

The industry now employs 48,000 people in the state and that number almost entirely is made up of people already here.

“We displaced people from here to here,” she said of other jobs to the marijuana industry.

The nation has gone its longest period without increasing minimum wage (currently $7.25), she noted. However, the cost of living has continued to rise and the marijuana industry has a starting pay averaging from $12 to $15.

“People are doubling their wages in some cases,” she said. “And you can’t blame them for that.”

To counter that, Osborn said companies are going to have to take it upon themselves.

“We’re going to have to encourage higher wages so people can keep their doors open,” she said.

Osborn discussed several ways her department works with and aids businesses.

One is the OSHA Consultation Service Program, which provides free and confidential safety and health consultations in the workplace.

Essentially, a state employee is embedded in the place of business for a period of time and develops options for solving health and safety problems.

“It’s very difficult to comply with all of the OSHA regulations,” Os- born said. “This is a free service and we’re not going to turn our findings over to anyone.”

A similar service is also offered to cities, counties and schools.

It’s one of the reasons “we have one of the lowest rates in the nation of people dying on the job,” she said.

Her department also helps ensure wages are paid to workers.

Last year, she said, the Labor Department brought in more than $1 million in back wages for Oklahomans.

She said that’s imperative for the type of people who need that help.

“We keep people from falling into the cracks of social services,” she said. “Because once they get there, it’s tough to get out.”

Osborn added that it’s also important for Oklahoma to keep churning out a workforce, especially in four currently critical areas: teaching, nursing/medical, engineering and the trades.

Due to the state having a large number of military bases, a lot of aerospace industry has moved into the state.

She said it’s now Oklahoma’s No. 2 employer.

“The aerospace industry is starting people at $80,000 to $100,000 a year and is begging to get people to fill those spots,” she said.

The state’s universities have increased the number of students in their engineering programs, which is important.

“If we can’t continue that pipeline, they won’t stay,” she said. “Because right now, more than half of those jobs are filled by people from out of state.”

Osborn discussed a pilot program with Oklahoma City Public Schools, the voters for which just passed a nearly $1 billion bond issue.

Part of that bond issue was to build “multi-purpose” classrooms at each high school campus, many of which will be dedicated to teaching trades.

Several of those schools have already committed to providing a “shop class,” Osborn said.

By the time students complete their time in high school, many will have also completed an apprenticeship program outside of school and will be licensed and ready to hit the workforce with a high-paying job.

“If this program works in Oklahoma City, we want to replicate it across the state,” she said.

Osborn said the teaching profession is “in a world of hurt.”

“We’re having a hard time finding certified teachers for the classroom,” she said, noting the more than 3,000 current teachers who have received emergency certification.

Osborn said the No. 1 issue in finding and retaining teachers is pay.

On top of that is the way the profession has been viewed. She added the recent political rhetoric hasn’t helped.

“It’s very vexing to me the way teachers have been categorized,” she said. “Teachers are being demonized. We have to have the best and the brightest molding our children in the classroom and we have to think of ways to value teachers instead of demonizing them.”