House to Evaluate Government Reorganization
House Speaker Dean Cannon recently announced the creation of a select committee to consider the government reorganization and deregulation initiatives that have been gaining so much attention recently. Speaker Cannon asked Speaker pro tempore John Legg to serve as the chairman of the select committee and Rules & Calendar Chairman Gary Aubuchon to serve as the vice chairman. Speaker Cannon cited both representatives for their ability to tackle complex public policy issues.
The Select Committee on Government Reorganization will have two goals. First, Speaker Cannon has directed the committee to look at government programs that purport to promote or regulate private sector economic activity. Second, he asked the select committee to evaluate government programs involved with health and human service delivery systems. He also said the select committee may take on other areas of evaluation if time permits.
The select committee will consider potential statutory changes that would be beneficial in making Florida’s government more efficient. In addition, Speaker Cannon envisions that the committee will consider possible ballot initiatives that can be presented to the electorate. Specifically, he mentioned that the House should evaluate the changes in constitutional offices adopted about a decade ago to examine whether the centralization of authority associated with those changes has produced the desired outcomes.