Task force reviews 1990s agency-consolidation recommendations; some suggestions adopted years later

Levi (Legislative Council staff) presented a historical memo to the Legislative Task Force on Government Efficiency summarizing Governor Schafer's executive recommendations from the early 1990s on agency consolidation and elimination.

The memo, LC number 27.9110.010001, lists recommendations from the 1993–1997 biennia and tracks which items were approved, rejected or enacted later in modified forms. Levi told members that some recommendations that were not approved at the time later appeared in subsequent sessions in altered forms.

Why it matters: Committee members used the historical review as a prompt to ask how lawmakers should judge whether future consolidations succeed. Senator Hogan asked how to evaluate whether a merger of agencies achieved intended efficiencies, noting the recurring debate — for example over entities handling fire insurance — and said the committee needs measurable standards for assessment.

Details cited in the memo and discussion - Levi summarized samples: a 1993 recommendation to combine the securities commission with the insurance commissioner was not approved in 1993 but ultimately occurred decades later; recommendations concerning the Soil Conservation Committee moved through several forms before eventual reorganization in the late 1990s. - Levi also pointed out program-level transfers, including boiler inspection and victim reparation program moves among state agencies over time. - Several members asked that future consolidation efforts include metrics to judge whether reorganizations improved outcomes. The group agreed that the task force should decide what outcome measures would be required when recommending a consolidation.

Discussion and committee direction Members including Senator Davidson and Representative Bosch urged the task force to define specific outcomes and reporting requirements that would accompany any recommendation to eliminate or combine agencies. The committee discussed legislative staff capacity to track outcomes and the role of auditors in evaluating whether consolidations achieved stated goals.

Ending The presentation provided historical context and prompted the task force to plan for forward-looking evaluation: if consolidation proposals reappear, the group will seek clearer guidance and pre-defined metrics so future legislators can judge whether restructuring delivered the expected efficiencies.