As Elon Musk pushes forward with the Department of Government Efficiency at the federal level, several states have launched similar efforts to reduce waste and improve efficiency in government.
Oklahoma became the latest to announce a form of DOGE at the state level after several other states have said they will go forward with similar initiatives.
Here are the states moving forward with DOGE initiatives and what we know about them:
Oklahoma
Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-OK) announced Monday that he would create a Division of Government Efficiency under the state’s Office of Management and Enterprise Services, aimed at removing wasteful spending and improving the efficiency of taxpayer funds.
“Today, I’m launching DOGE-OK to keep the focus on flat budgets and limiting government,” Stitt said in a statement. “Our top responsibility as leaders is ensuring we are working on behalf of all four million Oklahomans in the most efficient way possible. DOGE-OK will help identify and root out inefficiencies and government waste. It’s an essential part of making us a top ten state.”
Stitt said his executive order will require DOGE-OK to file a report to him by March 31 to outline “strategies for efficiency, recommendations for fiscal reforms, and specific agency budget findings.”
Iowa
In the Hawkeye State, Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) announced in her Condition of the State speech last month that she would be launching a “state DOGE” to build on her administration’s past efficiency efforts, which she claimed saved taxpayers $217 million.
“I’m launching our own state DOGE, to find even greater savings and efficiencies in both state and local government,” Reynolds said during her address. “Because to pass meaningful property tax reform, we also need to be lean at the local level.”
New Hampshire
Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) announced the creation of a DOGE-like initiative in her first executive order after being sworn in last month.
The Commission on Government Efficiency will “develop proposals to streamline government, cut inefficient spending, and find the most efficient ways to serve the people of New Hampshire,” according to Ayotte’s executive order.
She announced that the 15-member commission would include 13 members picked by the governor, one state representative picked by the House speaker, and one state senator picked by the Senate president. Ayotte picked former New Hampshire Gov. Craig Benson and businessman Andy Crews to serve as the co-chairmen of the commission.
“COGE will put proposals on my desk to streamline government, cut spending, and ensure we’re doing everything we can to create value for taxpayers,” Ayotte said in a statement at the time.
“Most importantly, COGE will help us do all of this while honoring our unbreakable commitment to provide for our most vulnerable citizens who depend on the services our state government provides,” she added. “Together, we will ensure our government runs as efficiently and effectively as possible for all of New Hampshire.”
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Several other states have also made efforts to add some form of DOGE into their state-level government. In Wisconsin, a new committee was created in the state House to reduce government waste, while in Missouri, lawmakers have committed to pushing forward a DOGE initiative.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R-TX) has named a bill to create a DOGE for Texas and improve government efficiency as one of his top priorities for the regular session. Members of the state House also voted to create a Delivery of Government Efficiency committee, with a similar goal to to the federal DOGE efforts.
