Kim Reynolds announces plans to create a statewide DOGE in Iowa

Iowa's Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds on Tuesday night declared that she would create a state version of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which would help reduce wasteful spending in the Hawkeye state. 

President-elect Donald Trump announced the creation of the federal DOGE shortly after winning reelection last year, which will be led by billionaires Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk. The House and Senate have also created DOGE panels that will oversee the department.

Reynolds told Iowa voters in her "condition of the state" address that the Hawkeye state was already doing well on limiting wasteful spending, but that more could be done. Emily Schmitt, general counsel of Sukup Manufacturing, will lead the department. 

“I like to say that we were doing DOGE before DOGE was a thing,” Reynolds said. “And to build on our success, I’m launching our own state DOGE to find even greater savings and efficiencies in both state and local government ... In just a few short years, we’ve turned our state into a national model for bold, get-it-done government. And we’re not stopping."

The announcement comes after New Hampshire's new governor Kelly Ayotte, and Wisconsin State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, said they were creating their own version of the department.

“We need to make sure that the government is operating more like the lean process in manufacturing, where waste is eliminated each step in the process for a better result,” Ayotte said, per The Hill. “So today, I’m announcing the creation of the Commission on Government Efficiency, or I like to call it the COGE."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.