Governor-backed bill would create task force to review and reduce state boards and commissions; water industry raises concerns

Senate Bill 2308 would create a boards review task force housed in the Governor's Office to assess state boards, commissions, committees, councils and task forces for inefficiency and duplication and recommend streamlining measures to the Legislature. The administration submitted a detailed section‑by‑section breakdown of target changes, including repeals, transfers and consolidations.

Governor Kelly Armstrong testified in support, saying state government has more than 50 boards and roughly 1,500 appointees and that some boards have not met in years. He said the task force is intended to identify which boards can be combined or absorbed by agencies, and noted the bill would dissolve 17 named entities in whole or in part. JC Schaefer, deputy chief of staff, said the list was developed after outreach and review and that the goal is to preserve mission‑critical functions while removing duplicative structures.

The bill would reassign duties in several places: it moves the statewide…