Alexander Kolodin. Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore
If you have not lived under a rock over the last two months, you are almost certainly aware of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk’s attempts to cut government spending at the federal level. And regular readers may have read our piece on Arizona’s version of DOGE, spearheaded by Scottsdale-based Representative Alex Kolodin. But only a couple weeks later, we got an update on AZ DOGE, and…
It’s dead already. After several attempts at amendments to make it more palatable to various legislators, it made its way for a vote by the entire House of Representatives, and it got destroyed 42-17. A bipartisan smackdown, a relatively rarity in our current polarized days.
How could an idea that at least on the surface has widespread support from Republicans, in a legislature that is controlled by Republicans? In one way the problems that are arising with DOGE at the federal level were mirrored with this local version. However, it’s also a tale as old as America, one that is playing out in various ways at the federal level, and one that often gets in the way of any spending cuts at the government level.
Much like Musk, Kolodin went in with an axe, not a scalpel, and didn’t seem to confirm or even gather support for those cuts before he brought his bill forward. His recommendation to disband eight different boards or commissions was a “shock and awe” move that was bound to attract disagreement. Moreover, while he certainly had some reasonably good justifications for getting rid of some of them, it would appear that he went into this with partial information.
Take for instance his desire to get rid of the Barbering and Cosmetology Board. As a man who presumably never got his nails and eyelashes done, he probably has given no thought as to what is necessary to demonstrate competence there. In a rare moment of bipartisanship, both Republican and Democrat women united to tell him how bad of an idea that was. It seems as though he didn’t know what he didn’t know and didn’t demonstrate much interest in actually getting to understand the potential need.
Also in the crosshairs was the Commission on the Arts, but instead of speaking at length to stakeholders and understanding that this was a substantial need for a significant industry that contributes quite a bit to the economy, Kolodin only got the message during the course of bill discussions, not before the bill was introduced. Much like what is happening at the federal level, the “chop first, ask questions later” approach, more preparation should have been done, and backlash for a sloppy and uninformed execution was inevitable.
And perhaps Kolodin doesn’t care; perhaps he got the headlines he wanted, perhaps he endeared himself to the Trump administration in some regard and is now better known as a budget hawk. But the side impact is that he again seems less and less like a serious leader and more like a headline-chaser.
Perhaps the best approach is to introduce the repeal of the individual boards for discussion and a vote. But more than that, the best approach is to avoid legislation apparently designed to get attention rather than to cut regulation.