Coleman continues push for government efficiency as Missouri DOGE takes different approach than Musk 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Less than a month after launching a portal for residents to submit concerns to the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman (R-Jefferson County) is continuing her push for greater government accountability.

On Tuesday, Coleman introduced five bills aimed at cutting waste:

• SB 720 – Requires the Office of Administration to report state-owned properties left unused for at least three years and allows the governor to sell them, reducing maintenance costs.
• SB 722 – Directs OA to report abandoned funds (unused for five or more years) to the General Assembly annually and transfers more than $6.6 million in long-dormant state funds to the General Revenue Fund.
• SB 723 – Requires OA to report tax credits unclaimed for at least five years and repeal them to eliminate inefficiencies.
• SB 729 – Dissolves inactive boards and commissions that haven’t met or taken action in three years, with annual reporting to maintain oversight.
• SB 757 – Eliminates outdated laws that no longer serve a purpose, reducing regulatory clutter and improving government operations.

Coleman said the measures have seen little opposition so far.

"It's been really bipartisan support for all of these efforts. This isn't a partisan issue here in Missouri," Coleman said. "I think all of us want to make sure our government is working well for us, and we're happy to be delivering wins right out of the gate."

Public input on Government Efficiency

Efforts to reduce government waste have been popular in Missouri, with the Missouri Accountability Portal receiving "hundreds" of responses each week, according to Coleman, though she did not provide an exact number. On Feb. 6, Coleman said the portal had more than 1,000 responses.

However, many responses focus on national issues outside the Missouri Legislature’s authority. Coleman explained that the committee meets every Monday to review submissions and sort through relevant concerns.

"I think that if somebody is reaching out to Missouri and saying, ‘Hey, I'm concerned about this,’ even if it's not directly on point for what we're looking for, there's real value in letting citizens tell their government what they think is working and what isn't," she said.

Coleman also emphasized that Missouri’s approach to government efficiency differs from the federal level by ensuring legislative oversight. Elon Musk, who runs the federal DOGE, said in a video on Wednesday during a cabinet meeting that DOGE "accidentally" cut Ebola prevention funding. This isn’t the first time Musk has acknowledged that DOGE may make mistakes.

"Rather than like the national DOGE, where it's all the executive branch, here in Missouri, we're working as a legislature. We're taking public testimony. We're working as a bipartisan committee to try to find those things," Coleman said. "It's not like ready, fire, aim. We're going to make sure that we're taking in the appropriate information and acting on that."

Coleman’s efforts have backing from Americans for Prosperity-Missouri (AFP-MO), a conservative grassroots organization that advocates for government accountability. AFP-MO has also supported Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS)-style bills (SB 350/HB 664), which would require legislative review of regulations with an economic impact exceeding $250,000.

"We applaud Senator Coleman's efforts to establish a DOGE like we're seeing at the federal level here in Missouri," AFP-MO Director Gary Hollis said. "I've sat in her DOGE committee a couple of times now, and I've heard them talking through the hundreds of ideas that have come in from average citizens on how to make government more efficient.” 

According to Coleman, the money saved from the state's efforts to reduce spending would go toward tax cuts. 

"People don't have a good experience with government, and that's why I think it resonates with people all around the country. They want to see efficiency. It's their tax dollars paying for it, and they don't view it as efficient or helpful to their lives."

However, not everyone has been in favor of DOGE’s efforts. Rep. Kathy Steinhoff (D-Columbia) told ABC 17 News in early February that while there is room for more government efficiency, she is concerned that potential cuts could have unintended consequences in the future. 

“I'm just not super optimistic that it's going to lead to big, massive savings without damaging some serious services to people. I think that what you're going to find is some of the people that are reaching out to that and complaining are looking at it from a limited view,” Steinhoff said. 

Last week dozens of protesters gathered at the Missouri Capitol on Monday to protest against Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, arguing that DOGE harms the country. About 150 dissenters also showed their displeasure to U.S. Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO) at a town hall at a coffee shop in Belton.