Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds releases final Iowa DOGE report

The Iowa DOGE Task Force released its final report on Tuesday, recommending cuts intended to increase efficiency within the state government. The final report was issued to Reynolds by the task force on Sept. 29. 

The task force, created by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds through an executive order in February, included individuals from education, local government, and private sector businesses. In a press conference following the report’s release, Reynolds said it was used to “assess how [Iowa] can improve workforce programs, leverage emerging technologies, maximize taxpayer investment, and ultimately, take alignment to the next level.”

The task force mirrors the federal Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, created by President Donald Trump in January and initially run by tech billionaire Elon Musk. Since it began, DOGE has cut a multitude of programs, including those in education, research, and medicine sectors, in an attempt to increase efficiency and reduce wasteful spending within the federal government. Though the department has come under scrutiny from Democrats for recklessly slashing spending and programs, only to restore them weeks later. 

The Iowa task force drafted 45 recommendations in August, all of which appear to be included in the final report. 

Recommendations included exploring changes to the Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System, or IPERS, the largest public retirement plan in Iowa, a defined benefit plan, and potentially reducing future contributions to the program from new hires. This could mean moving future public employees to a defined contribution plan, such as a 401(k).

Defined benefit plans are traditional pension plans funded by employers, which provide participants with a specified payment amount in retirement. Defined contribution plans are primarily funded by the employee by deferring portions of their gross salary, but allow for increased investment in other retirement funds. Retirement benefits in defined contribution plans are determined by the amount of contribution by the employee, along with a potential matched contribution by the employer.  

“Overall, aligning Iowa’s retirement benefits with more sustainable models (while honoring all promises made to Iowa’s public-sector employees to date) would help curb the growth of future liabilities and appeal to a more mobile workforce,” the report reads. 

Reynolds addressed concerns surrounding the public pension system at a news conference following the release of the report. 

“There has been much public speculation, not to mention misinformation, about potential changes to benefits that state employees, law enforcement officers, teachers, and others rely on,” Reynolds said. “You can rest assured that IPERS will be there for your retirement, just as you’ve planned and we’ve promised.”

Rob Sand, state auditor and democratic gubernatorial candidate, said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, that current representatives are “playing politics” with IPERS recommendations, and he would honor IPERS plans if elected governor.

“Also: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – and that goes for IPERS,” the statement reads. “Iowans deserve a governor who will protect their well-earned retirement savings and who will uphold the ability of the State Auditor’s office to find and deter waste and abuse.”

The task force recommended a “red tape hotline,” a phone number allowing businesses, job seekers, and educators to call and report bureaucratic hurdles or inefficiencies. Additional recommendations include phasing out the Iowa Industrial New Jobs Training program to establish a $30 million workforce training fund, and $15 million workforce infrastructure fund at Iowa Workforce Development.

Emily Schmitt, Iowa DOGE Task Force Chair and Chief Administrative Officer at Sukup Manufacturing Co., the world’s largest family-owned grain storage manufacturer, emphasized the importance of the task force at the press conference on Tuesday. 

“Creating a government ecosystem that reduces administration and increases collaboration allows every Iowan a better serviced state and outcomes that can evolve and adapt,” Schmitt said. “These factors not only contribute to effective government, but also overall economic development, community vibrancy and business growth.” 

Reynolds said the task force received input from more than 5,000 Iowans from all Iowa counties over the course of the 180 days of developing recommendations. 

Iowa Rep. Hans Wilz, R-Ottumwa, served as the ex officio member on the task force. Wilz said he intends to make state government efficiency a priority of the upcoming 2026 legislative session. 

“I have appreciated the opportunity to serve as one of the legislative members on the Iowa DOGE Task Force,” Wilz said in a news release. “Transparency and constituent feedback were the main principles that guided this task force. I was happy to be able to gather and deliver feedback personally so Iowans continue to have their voices heard.”