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Saturday, January 22, 2005

Indiana Gov't - More on Gov. Daniels' plan to "prune" boards

The Munster (NW Indiana) Times has a story today by H. Gregory Meyer that picks up on the Governor's gardening theme. Some quotes:

Bills echoing Gov. Mitch Daniels' call to weed the "state government's garden" this week have already prompted some agencies to pick up spades in defense.

Daniels, in his State of the State speech Tuesday, singled out the "hundreds of boards, commissions and advisory committees that have sprouted over the years" for aggressive pruning. Daniels wants the state's 300 such entities whittled down to fewer than 100, a spokeswoman said.

Everything is under scrutiny, from regional planning boards and Civil War flags to corn marketing and historic preservation.

A Senate bill that Daniels supports would shut down most government boards and commissions July 1, 2006, and only those recommended by the state government efficiency commission and approved by the governor would be allowed to continue. A tougher House bill would impose a one-year moratorium on all boards and commissions July 1, 2005.

Both bills target obscure bodies such as the Civil War Flags Commission, the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission and the Indiana Political Subdivision Risk Management Commission.

But they also name agencies closer to home that some consider vital to the region's resources and planning -- including the Regional Transportation Authority, the Northern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, and the Kankakee and Little Calumet River basin commissions.

The story goes on to focus on the two bills, SB __ (Sen. Clark) and HB 1188 (Rep. MCCain). According to the story:
McClain's bill could shut down the commission for a year, disallowing meetings or other official action, though its status as a federally recognized metropolitan planning organization might spare it such a fate.

Reached by phone, McClain said, "We need to start all over again. Why do we have the Egg Board?" he added as an example. "Why is the Egg Board taking up space in state government?"

The head of the Indiana State Egg Board, based in West Lafayette, had a ready answer: It's a statewide consumer protection agency. The bill "certainly wouldn't be in the best interests of Indiana consumers," Executive Administrator David Steen said.

McClain said even such entities as the state Ethics Commission and the Board of Dentistry should justify their existence or risk shutdown.

Re Senator Clark's bill (which I could not locate, although I did locate a bill that Senator Clark has introduced to establish a new "worker's compensation advisory board"), the Times story continues:
The more moderate Senate bill, sponsored by Sen. J. Murray Clark, R-Indianapolis, would give notice to hundreds of commissions unless a Daniels' executive order directs otherwise.

"This bill is part of the governor's package," Clark said. "We don't want to be draconian, but we have over 350 boards and commissions currently, and some of them haven't met for years."

The Indianapolis Star has a story today written by Kevin Corcoran headlined: "Daniels seeks resignations of 17 boards' members: Governor says he wants to remake the panels, 'like the rest of state government.'" Some quotes:
Gov. Mitch Daniels' chief of staff this week requested the resignations of members of 17 state boards and commissions with significant policy-making authority, including those overseeing the state's teachers' and public employees' retirement funds.

Daniels, a Republican, cannot force resignations from members of these panels, which range from the Indiana Gaming Commission to the Indiana Ports Commission. By law, members of most state boards and commissions serve fixed terms. They cannot be replaced before their terms expire, unless they resign. [See comment below.]

Daniels said Friday he is "selectively" trying to remake these boards. He has said he hopes members will "do the right thing" and submit their resignations. "We'd like to be able to change these bodies, just like the rest of state government," he has said.

A terse letter to the 120 members of these panels, signed by Harry Gonso, Daniels' chief of staff, went out Thursday, according to the governor's aides. Resignations are due by Friday. They are to be submitted to the governor's chief counsel, Steve Schultz, in writing or by e-mail.

"Not all resignations will be accepted," Gonso wrote, "but the Governor would like to ensure, in the exercise of executive power as vested in the Governor by the Indiana Constitution, that all gubernatorial appointees to boards and commissions share his commitment to reform and his vision for the State."

As I've commented before, this may be looked at as a separation of powers issue - can the General Assembly limit the executive authority of the Governor though the passage of laws limiting his appointing powers by creating, for instance, offices with fixed terms that extend beyond the term of the appointing Governor, where the appointees are not removable "at will" but only "for cause?"

The Star story also notes:

Kernan filled vacancies on full- and part-time state boards and commissions at an unprecedented clip last year, meaning his influence over state government could continue for some time. In all, he appointed and reappointed 1,242 people to more than 300 boards and commissions. The total number of people serving on state boards and commissions is 2,428.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on January 22, 2005 10:30 AM
Posted to Indiana Government