Texas tries its own, bipartisan version of DOGE
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Texas is taking a crack at improving government efficiency with a legislative committee that plans to get residents' input on where the state can trim its spending and reduce redundancies.
Why it matters: President Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has shaken up federal agencies, laid off workers, and halted federal grants without much warning or explanation.
- The Texas House is trying something different with its Committee on Delivery of Government Efficiency, a bipartisan group of lawmakers tasked with identifying areas where the state can be more efficient.
The big picture: Texas has a roughly $340 billion two-year budget. Even cutting 1% from the budget would save $3.4 billion.
State of play: Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) established the committee this year, with five Democrats and eight Republicans. Eight of the members are from North Texas, including the chair and vice chair.
What they're saying: Committee Chair Giovanni Capriglione, a Republican from Keller, did not return Axios' messages.
- "The 5 D's of Doge: doge, discover, disrupt, deliver, doge," he posted on X in February.
How it works: Members plan to meet weekly through the end of the legislative session and can continue their work after the session is over, either seeking legislative approval when needed or asking agencies to adopt changes themselves.
Yes, but: The committee will be up against the public's negative opinion of the federal DOGE and the possibility of party politics slowing its progress.
Zoom in: Vice Chair Salman Bhojani, a Democrat from Tarrant County, tells Axios he hopes the committee will be able to improve the state's technology and make tasks easier for Texans.
- He is also open to exploring the use of artificial intelligence and identifying properties that are too costly for the state to maintain and could be sold.
What they're saying: "We can't cut these government agencies randomly without putting some thought into it. We're trying to have more of a surgical approach," Bhojani tells Axios.
What you can do: The committee is taking recommendations from constituents on how the state can operate more efficiently.
- Share your views with any of the committee's members.