Actual DOGE in Idaho
It's quietly happening
Three weeks ago, I wrote about how DOGE has become the new buzzword in politics. Republicans throughout the nation are watching in ecstasy as President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and a cadre of Zoomer geniuses tear through the federal bureaucracy like a hot knife through butter. Many at the state level want to see the same thing happen here, while others just want the attention that it brings.
Some Idaho political activists have dismissed the DOGE talk as nothing but a scam, a grifting operation by elected officials to convince voters that something big is happening even as they continue with business as usual. These activists point to the budget, which has increased by 55% over the past five years, and say a true DOGE operation would slash it by at least that much.
However, remember that the DOGE stuff at the federal level is taking place entirely within the executive branch. Congress delegated tremendous authority to the executive over the past century, especially with regards to spending our tax dollars. President Trump is simply using that authority to gut as many of these bloated programs as possible. A true equivalent would be for Idaho’s governor to appoint a special team to audit the scores of state agencies using his own statutory authority.
Nevertheless, I have seen a real effort this year to cut rules and statutes and to streamline government regulations. Obviously this won’t please anyone who demands nothing less than the total abolition of government, but I believe it’s a very good development that will pay long-term dividends for the people of Idaho.
Each legislative session our lawmakers draft and consider many bills, most of which attempt to do something new. Perhaps more important are bills such as H80, which eliminates the Yellow Dot Motor Vehicle Medical Information Act. This is a program that allows citizens to put a yellow sticker on their vehicle that can alert emergency responders to the presence of detailed health information carried in the vehicle. It turned out not to be a very popular idea, so Rep. Heather Scott carried a bill to eliminate it.
The first DOGE bill this year was H14, which instructs state agencies to examine the sections of Idaho law that relate to their functions and create a list of recommendations to remove or consolidate code that is obsolete, inapplicable, or unnecessary. Obviously we can’t fully rely on government agencies to police themselves, but since they will bill the most knowledgeable about those sections of code, it’s a good place to start.
H14 was passed by both chambers and has been signed by Gov. Brad Little. However, Alex Adams, director of the Dept. of Health and Welfare (DHW), is already ahead of the game. He helped draft a bill with Rep. Jordan Redman that eliminates 150 sections of code related to DHW, and that bill was sent to the House floor this morning.
The Legislature has also been working to move bureaucratic rules into Idaho statutes. Today, agency rules carry the force of law, but you won’t find them when reading through the statutes. These rules are instead listed on another website, and unless you know exactly what you’re looking for they can be difficult to understand. Moving rules into statute not only makes things simpler for citizens and businesses, it creates more accountability by moving responsibility to our elected lawmakers rather than unelected bureaucrats.
The more our Legislature reclaims its lawmaking power, the better off we all will be. H107, sponsored by Reps. Jeff Ehlers and Jordan Redman, restricts the ability of bureaucratic agencies from creating new licensing requirements. It also requires new licenses to be established via rule rather than simply a decree by the agency director. In a similar vein, H110 (also sponsored by Rep. Redman) prohibits DHW from going beyond the law in restricting healthcare providers.
H119, sponsored by Rep. Ehlers, eliminates licensing requirements for shorthand reporters. Did you know that shorthand reporters currently need to be licensed to practice their trade? Me neither.
Speaking of licensing, H77 would allow for assistant physicians to have the ability to practice medicine. Right now, the pathway to becoming a licensed physician is strictly controlled, which contributes to a growing doctor shortage in Idaho. Allowing an alternate pathway while still ensuring physicians are qualified can mitigate that problem. This bill is also sponsored by Rep. Redman.
Even Rep. Joshua Wheeler, who often takes the opposite side on many conservative issues, has sponsored H153, which reduces certain licensing requirements for electricians.
Rep. Barbara Ehardt has sponsored H243, which relaxes requirements for licensing daycares in Idaho. Currently, the taxpayers subsidize many daycares through the Idaho Child Care Program (ICCP) while government bureaucracies heavily regulates the industry. Obviously, we must ensure that children are safe in these facilities, but as with most programs these regulations could use reform.
Over on the Senate side, Sen. Camille Blaylock carried S1014 which moves rules regarding required infant blood tests into statute. Blaylock also sponsored S1015 which streamlines the process for licensing hospitals in Idaho.
I could keep going, as there are many more bills like these that are moving through the process. I just wanted to take a few minutes and make you aware of things that are not getting as much attention as grocery taxes or school choice. While cutting taxes and reducing spending are extremely important endeavors, so is reforming the Byzantine rules and statutes that have grown like ivy throughout out state over the past century. This project might not be flashy but it needs to be done, and I commend our Legislature for taking these important steps.
Politicians excell in creating bills that are ignored or never enforced.
Still not tired of winning.