Gov. Kelly Armstrong testified today in support of Senate Bill 2308, a proposal aimed at reducing the number of state boards and commissions to improve efficiency and cut government costs. The bill seeks to establish a task force to review over 150 existing boards and determine which should be consolidated or dissolved.
“That’s too many,” Armstrong said, emphasizing that even volunteer-led boards come with costs. “When government stays in silos, it leads to duplicative work. Our goal for the task force is to create efficiencies and make sure each board’s mission is still relevant today.”
Introduced by Sen. Kristin Roers and co-sponsored by House Majority Leader Mike Lefor, Senate Majority Leader David Hogue, and Rep. Scott Louser, the bill would require the task force to report recommendations to the 2027 Legislature. The current version of the bill proposes dissolving 18 boards, with state agencies absorbing their responsibilities in some cases.
Armstrong first voiced support for the initiative in his Jan. 7 State of the State address. To jumpstart the effort, he signed an executive order dissolving five inactive boards that hadn’t met in over a year.
“I look forward to continuing to work on this bill with all of you to reduce the footprint of government and save North Dakota taxpayers money,” Armstrong told the Senate State and Local Government Committee.