Boards and Commissions Task Force Releases Report
Missouri currently has more than 200 state boards and commissions. From advocating on behalf of Missouri’s children and seniors to overseeing numerous regulated professions, the citizens who serve on these boards and commissions are essential to the numerous functions of state government. They are talented, intelligent and experienced individuals, and I’m very appreciative of their commitment to the Show-Me State.
Unfortunately, as so often happens in government, time and politics have taken their toll; and the reality is we now have far too many boards and commissions that are redundant in nature, unable to meet due to vacancies or have members with expired terms. In an effort to get Missouri’s system of boards and commissions back on track, in April of this year, the governor issued Executive Order 17-11, creating the Boards and Commissions Task Force.
The 12-member Task Force was specifically charged with studying Missouri’s boards and commissions, determining whether each board and commission is necessary, effective and efficient, and recommending ways to improve and streamline the existing system. The Task Force released its findings in a 26-page report Wednesday, Nov. 1. In short, the Task Force is recommending eliminating roughly 450 gubernatorial appointments, either by consolidating certain boards and commissions or altogether disbanding them.
For the most part, the men and women serving on these boards and commissions are there for no other reason than out of a desire to improve the lives of Missourians and serve their state. However, when government becomes too bloated — when there’s too much bureaucratic red tape — it can’t function property, and our citizens lose out. The Task Force has given Missouri lawmakers a detailed roadmap to making our state government more efficient and more effective, and it’s my hope the Legislature will use the 2018 session to start implementing some of its recommendations.
As always, please feel free to call, email, or write with your ideas or concerns. My Capitol office number is (573) 751-1415, my email is dan.hegeman@senate.mo.gov and my mailing address is Room 332, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.