Lawmakers want to bring DOGE to Idaho. What would newly introduced bill do?
Gov. Brad Little has said that Idaho was “DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) before DOGE existed,” according to Fox News. He has touted his willingness to cut regulations on X.
Some lawmakers want to do more.
Rep. Jaron Crane, R-Nampa, presented a bill Tuesday that would create a nine-member Department of Government Efficiency Legislative Task Force to “ensure fiscal responsibility, prevent waste, and enhance accountability.”
“This does have a sunset date of four years so they’ll get to work pretty quickly and make recommendations to the Legislature on what we need to improve as a government,” Crane said.
It’s not clear whether there are specific benchmarks for the task force to hit, although the bill does state a goal of “eliminating or shifting nearly all regulations to statute by 2033.”
At the federal level, the controversial Department of Government Efficiency being led by Elon Musk has faced legal challenges because of access to computer systems with Americans’ personal data and firings of probationary workers, according to Reuters. It’s unclear how much money the department has saved because the department has deleted some of its largest savings claims.
“I just spent 30 minutes talking to a 14-year manager at the VA and Army vet, who was fired because he took a promotion a year ago,” said Rep. Todd Achilles, D-Boise. “If we take on a DOGE task force in the state, let’s do it a little more thoughtfully than what’s happening at the federal level.“
This story was originally published March 4, 2025 at 5:00 PM.
