CINCINNATI (WKRC) – Kentucky lawmakers are considering the creation of its own government efficiency group.
President Donald Trump created the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and State Rep. T.J. Roberts, a Republican from Burlington, is advocating for a bill to establish a 10-person task force, modeled after that idea.
“When we’re dealing with spending, we’re not dealing with my money; we’re dealing with all four and a half million Kentuckians’ money,” said Roberts.
He emphasized the importance of scrutinizing government spending to ensure efficiency.
The proposed task force would not have the authority to implement changes directly; any recommendations would require legislative approval.
“The least we can do as a legislature is make sure that it is set to the highest levels of scrutiny and running our government as efficiently as possible,” Roberts said.
The plan has already passed a House committee, and a corresponding Senate bill seeks to establish a new division within the state auditor’s office to oversee any enacted changes.
However, not all lawmakers are in favor of the proposal.
“There’s a lot of national noise and political talking points to be had, but the reality is our finances are in pretty good shape,” said State Rep. Matt Lehman, a Democrat from Newport. “There are six budget review subcommittees that go through each part of the budget and executive branch; we have our own investigative committee.”
Roberts countered that a more comprehensive review is necessary.
“They’re focused on those very specific issues; however, we don’t have a committee dedicated to looking at the base.”
“It seems to me that this is nothing more than a political talking point that is trying to address a problem that doesn’t really exist in Kentucky,” said Lehman.
The task force, if approved, would be required to meet at least twice a month before the next year’s budget is passed.