DOGE Follows ALEC’s Proven Solutions for Government Efficiency

The ALEC Government Efficiency (AGE) Coalition is already making great strides, with several successful meetings behind us and strong partnerships underway across states and at the federal level through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). By moving government services closer to the people, the AGE Coalition and DOGE are advancing one of ALEC’s core principles: federalism.

At ALEC, we are at the forefront of this issue, with a long-term vision for sustainable government reform. Our State Budget Reform Toolkit – originally released in 2011 – includes a treasure trove of practical ideas to guide state legislators in modernizing government, addressing budget shortfalls, and improving government efficiency. These reforms are also featured in ALEC’s Essential Policy Solutions for 2025.

As ALEC President Jonathan Williams recently told Stateline:

One of the things we keep going back to is just the review of current government spending. In so many cases, performance audits are not done on a regular basis in programs to look for these efficiencies.

It’s going to be important to really tighten the belt, right-size government programs, and look for ways to provide those core government services more efficiently so we’re able to deliver real services to those truly at need. And that, I think, is something that really plays into really a red-state or a blue-state outlook.

On our January coalition call, we were joined by Congressman Pete Sessions (TX), Chair of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce, and Missouri Representative Ben Baker, both of whom are leading efforts to dismantle government inefficiencies at the federal and state levels, respectively. Chairman Sessions and the DOGE Caucus have been actively working on taxation, retirement, agriculture, healthcare, and more to improve efficiency.

Representative Baker – one of ALEC’s State Legislators of the Year for 2024 – is the chair of Missouri’s new Committee on Government Efficiency (COGE). COGE is focused on getting down to the brass tax on overreach, inefficiencies, and overspending. Missouri is leveraging this momentum to make substantial reforms in policy, systems, budgets, and oversights. Representative Baker is also focusing on elimination of the state income taxes, duplicative government services, regulatory reform, and examining whether government programs are meeting their goals. In Chapter 4 of our State Budget Reform Toolkit, we have various tools to control costs and improve government efficiency, including eliminating vacant positions and establishing a state privatization and efficiency council.

Another major goal of Missouri’s COGE is to provide legislative oversight for transparency in state government. We have model legislation on taxpayer transparency that can be found here, and more on budget transparency in Chapter 3 of our Toolkit. The tools we provide include creating a transparent budget website, adopting a 72-hour budget timeout, and requiring fiscal notes before action on spending bills.

Missouri has followed Oklahoma’s lead in government reforms, drawing inspiration from the establishment of the Oklahoma Legislative Office of Financial Transparency (LOFT) in 2019. As Representative Baker highlighted, LOFT is designed to enhance legislative oversight of state agency budgets and operations. The program helps Oklahoma make informed, data-driven decisions by ensuring greater accountability in state government. In 2017 and 2018, our late friend Bob Williams, who was president of State Budget Solutions and spent five years working at ALEC, met with Oklahoma leaders to share solutions from our State Budget Reform Toolkit, leading to Oklahoma’s use of priority-based budgeting and laying the groundwork for LOFT. This legacy is now motivating leaders in Missouri and across the country to drive meaningful change in state government.

This commitment to transparency and efficiency isn’t limited to Missouri or the federal level. States across the country, including Alaska, Nebraska, Louisiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin, are also championing government reforms. In Illinois, ALEC member, Assistant House Minority Leader John Cabello, is sponsoring a bill that creates the Department of Government Efficiency Act. This bill would enable the Department to serve an advisory role to help improve state government operations and reduce costs. The various launches of caucuses, initiatives, and bills across the states prove a pivotal effort to better the lives of the American people.

Our ALEC Government Efficiency Coalition serves as a bridge for state leaders, gathering insights into the most effective and efficient administrative reforms implemented at the state level. As legislative sessions continue, states should focus on these regulatory reforms to maintain momentum. As Vivek Ramaswamy described at our States and Nation Policy Summit, states are uniquely positioned to support the federal government while delivering savings to taxpayers, shaping America’s future.

The ALEC Government Efficiency Coalition meets monthly to share best practices and proven policies from the states to optimize all levels of government. For over 50 years, ALEC has led the way in creating trusted policy solutions, and we’re excited to collaborate with all of you in our coalition. If you would like to learn more about the Coalition and join our next call, please visit this link for more information.