Des Moines, Iowa — Governor Kim Reynolds has signed a bill into law that will consolidate 37 state agencies into 16 departments and eliminate dozens of positions in state government that have continued to go unfilled.
The governor paid a consultant nearly a million dollars to draft the reorganization plan.
The non-partisan Legislative Services Agency projects the plan will eliminate about 200 full time positions in state government that aren’t filled and save taxpayers about $12½ million a year. The governor’s staff estimates taxpayers will save about $215 million over four years. Reynolds says efficiency is the main goal, making state government agencies, programs and licensing easier to navigate.
The governor expects most, if not all, the changes to be in place when the next state fiscal year begins July 1st.
The 16 state agency directors and Republican lawmakers gathered in the governor’s office at the statehouse for the bill signing ceremony on Tuesday afternoon. Democratic leaders in the House and Senate say the plan dilutes the legislature’s authority and is a “power grab” by the governor.
