Boards & Commissions - KUDOs

After digging a bit deeper yesterday, we uncovered that SB 181 (sponsored by Dan Kelly and Ed Worley) filed in the 2009 regular session eliminated the boards and commissions that were targetted in HB 623 in 2006. Kudos to Senator Kelly, Senator Worley and the Beshear Finance Cabinet for taking this initial step.

We'd encourage Frankfort to build on this by taking on a comprehensive examination of the hundreds of Boards and Commissions that litter the KRS statutes. Our intuition tells us that many, if not most, are either no longer functioning or have outlived their usefulness.

Best to go ahead and wipe them off the books.

Boards and Commissions

Interesting item out of Louisiana. Governor Bobby Jindal has proposed the elimination of defunct boards and commissions. Basically - these 22 boards and commissions are no longer functioning or have fulfilled their mission. Makes sense to eliminate them.

Kentucky should follow suit. There has been legislation filed to this affect in years past. In 2006 Mike Cherry, D- Princeton, filed H.B. 623 that would have eliminated several boards and commissions that no longer meet or have any membership. His position as chairman of the House State Government Committee places him in a great position to continue this effort.

We would encourage Represenative Cherry to take it further by examining the possibility of consolidating and eliminating a range of boards and commissions. In doing so, Mr. Cherry could further the process of right sizing state government in the face of shrinking resources and serve the interests of limited government by wiping obsolete boards off the KRS books.