Governor Announces Plans to Make State Government More Efficient and Smaller

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This morning Governor Gregoire announced her policy initiative to consolidate public services.  She announced the consolidation of public services in five areas.

Consolidating Natural Resource Agendas

  • This initiative consolidates the state’s current eleven agencies to five.
  • Proposes the consolidation of the Department of Fish & Wildlife, the State Parks & Recreation Commission, the Recreation and Conservation Office and the law enforcement unit of the Department of Natural Resources into a new Department of Conservation and Recreation.
  • Proposes the consolidation of the work of the Columbia River Gorge Commission, the Pollution Liability Insurance Agency, and the Department of Health’s reclaimed water program into the Department of Ecology.
  • Proposes the consolidation of the State Conservation Commission into the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation into the Department of Natural Resources.

Consolidating Central Services

  • Eliminate duplicate functions at state agencies
  • Proposes the consolidation of the Department of General Administration, Personnel, Printing and portions of the Department of Information Services and the Office of Financial Management into a new Department of Enterprise Services. 
  • The Department of Enterprise Services will provide the “back office” services and the Office of Financial Management will continue to address policy, budget, forecasting and labor relations.

Creating the Office of Civil Rights

  • Proposes the consolidation of the state’s Human Rights Commission, Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprise, Commission on African Affairs, Commission on Hispanic Affairs, and Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs into the Office of Civil Rights.

Eliminating Boards and Commissions

  • Proposes the introduction of legislation to eliminate 36 boards and commissions and move appointment authority for 16 boards from the Office of the Governor to state agencies.
  • A list of the boards and commissions that will be impacted has yet to be released.

Integrating Correctional Services

  • Proposes potential changes from ongoing discussions between the Department of Corrections and the Washington Assocation of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs regarding short-  and long-term strategies to maximize each correctional system’s strengths and integrate certain services.