Two bills aimed at consolidating some state agencies to reduce costs and eliminate redundant services were passed by committees in both legislative chambers Tuesday.
House Bill 1001, by Rep. David Branscum, R-Marshall, and Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Jim Hendren, R-Sulphur Springs, both cleared the chambers' State Agencies and Government Affairs committees and are expected to be considered on the floor today.
The idea for the bills came from Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who said that moving four smaller state agencies into larger state agencies would save taxpayer money and responsibly shrink the size of government.
The bills would fold the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority and Department of Rural Services into the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.
The Arkansas Building Authority would be consolidated with the Department of Finance and Administration, and the Land Survey Division would merge with the Arkansas Geographic Information Office.
Department of Finance and Administration projections showed the state could reap an annual $1.4 million in savings by eliminating 19 positions.
It also said there were 15 more positions that could be eliminated through attrition, saving taxpayers another $1.08 million per year.
On Tuesday, Hendren told senators that the changes would not diminish services available to Arkansans and that the savings could reach $10 million over the next five years.
"What I see happening in these four mergers is the same thing I do and other business people do every day: look for ways to deliver the same services at a more economic cost to taxpayers," Hendren said. "If one person can do both of those functions, it makes no sense to taxpayers to duplicate that effort."
Metro on 05/27/2015