DES MOINES, Iowa (KWWL)— State lawmakers passed a bill on Friday eliminating or consolidating state boards and commissions.
The Iowa Senate voted 32-14 along party lines to pass Senate File 2385 and send it to the desk of Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. The House passed the legislation on Wednesday.
This is a legislative priority for Governor Reynolds and a continuation of her efforts to reduce the size of state government and reorganize it to work in a way that she and Republican leaders believe allows it to function more efficiently. In her large government reorganization bill last year, she cut 21 cabinet agencies.
"Government works for the people, not the other way around. We should be consistently reviewing and improving the quality of services we provide. The bill headed to my desk today is a continuation of that work," Governor Reynolds said in a statement. "It eliminates unnecessary and redundant boards and commissions, returning accountability to the people of Iowa through their elected representatives. Iowa's boards and commissions have never been comprehensively reviewed and adjusted for effectiveness, only growing in numbers and scope over our state's history. Today, we reverse that trend."
The initial proposal at the start of the legislative session would have either consolidated or eliminated 111 of Iowa's 256 boards and commissions. After some disagreement between the two chambers, Republican leaders agreed on a bill that removes 67 boards and commissions and merges several others.
You can read Governor Reynold full statement here:
“Last year, I introduced and signed into law legislation that aligned state government to more effectively and efficiently deliver better services to Iowans. It cut 21 agencies from my cabinet, reduced government bureaucracy, and made state government more responsive to the people of Iowa. We are already seeing the results with increased responsiveness to Iowans and cost savings to taxpayers.
“Government works for the people, not the other way around. We should be consistently reviewing and improving the quality of services we provide. The bill headed to my desk today is a continuation of that work. It eliminates unnecessary and redundant boards and commissions, returning accountability to the people of Iowa through their elected representatives. Iowa’s boards and commissions have never been comprehensively reviewed and adjusted for effectiveness, only growing in numbers and scope over our state’s history. Today, we reverse that trend.” - Gov. Reynolds
