While the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been busy at the federal level, locating and cutting fraud and waste to save taxpayers’ dollars, several Republican-led states have adopted its playbook. Though their approach has been softer and slower than Musk’s style, the objective is the same. In some cases, states are merely rebranding committees that had already existed and calling attention to them. Regardless of when these entities began, it’s clear the Musk-led department has made an impression.
The DOGE Effect
Florida might have the most ambitious efficiency endeavor on the state level. During a February press conference in Tampa, Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) said he was launching a “state DOGE task force” to take “a multi-pronged approach to eliminating bureaucratic bloat and modernizing” the “state government to best serve the people of Florida in the years ahead.” The task force will supposedly operate for one year, assisted by artificial intelligence, and audit state agencies, universities, and local governments to identify possible budget cuts. DeSantis also wants to find federal funds he can return to the US Treasury, eliminate 740 state jobs, and ensure state contracts exclude diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
“I say we were DOGE before DOGE was cool,” said DeSantis. Many governors have said the same thing. Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-OK) claims he’s been “DOGE-ing in Oklahoma since before it was cool.” He established the Division of Government Efficiency and named it DOGE-OK, complete with an online portal listing regular updates.
Back in January, Republican Governor Kim Reynolds of Iowa announced a DOGE Committee and said, “I like to say we were doing DOGE before DOGE was a thing.” The committee plans to use artificial intelligence or other technology to help streamline the state’s government.
Republican Kelly Ayotte, the newly elected governor of New Hampshire, created a Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE) “to streamline government, cut spending, and ensure we’re doing everything we can to create value for taxpayers.” Like similar endeavors, volunteer business leaders and Republican government officials operate COGE. Ayotte doesn’t intend to cut many jobs, she claims, but instead wants to tackle long-term reforms of the state government, a sentiment that seems to pervade most state efforts.
Wisconsin Republicans have formed the Government Operations, Accountability, and Transparency Committee, or the GOAT Committee, playing off the “greatest of all time” theme. “With the rising popularity of the federal Department of Government Efficiency, we have a strong demand from the public to be more fiscally conservative,” said Wisconsin Rep. Amanda Nedweski (R), chairwoman of the GOAT Committee, speaking to a DC newspaper. “I mean, fiscal conservatism is cool now.”
So it would seem. Republican lawmakers in Missouri and Kansas have created online portals for residents to report waste and give ideas. Lawmakers in North Carolina have created a House Select Committee on Government Efficiency to look for wasteful programs to eliminate. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry formed the Fiscal Responsibility Program In December, preceding DOGE. Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina have proposals for DOGE-type endeavors making their way through the GOP-led legislatures.
Of course, states will need to be more cautious than Musk and his tech team, especially while the current administration is still cutting funds in various places. States rely on government cash for several programs, so they’ll have to tread lightly. They can’t just print more money like the federal government. Still, that’s not stopping governors and their legislatures from seeking savings.
But what do Americans think? Is this what people want – more DOGE?
The Musk Factor
Out of all the DOGE-related polls taken over the last six to eight weeks, most show a fairly even split in sentiment. In March, for instance, NBC News asked people whether creating DOGE was a good idea: “46% say the idea was good, 40% say it was bad, and another 13% do not have an opinion.” Other polls over the last month show similar numbers, though the percentage of Americans who disapprove of the department seems to inch upward as time passes. Does this mean people are against streamlining the government and saving taxpayers’ money? Maybe, but a better explanation might be that people like the idea of DOGE and its essential goals but despise the guy running it.
Much of the disapproval expressed toward DOGE may be an emotional response from those who despise Musk and not a reflection of their thoughts on cutting government waste, fraud, and abuse. Think about it: The billionaire Mars enthusiast has become so hated by some that they think murdering him could be justified. When somebody has that level of hatred for a person in charge of the department in question, the poll’s results will likely give an inaccurate outlook. Despite the naysayers, red states appear to be embracing efficiency measures.
“DOGE is expanding its influence beyond the federal government because it’s common sense,” White House spokesman Harrison Fields told a prominent DC newspaper. “Ending waste, fraud, and abuse isn’t controversial.” At least, it shouldn’t be. Either way, the Tesla CEO’s gig in DC may soon end, but the influence of his work could stretch beyond the Beltway for years to come.
