FRANKFORT, Ky. — A bill to expand the state auditor’s ability to go after government inefficiencies is moving forward.

Senate Bill 257 was given the green light by the Senate State and Local Government committee Monday morning. It has two readings already, meaning the Senate could pass it as early as Tuesday, March 4.

What You Need To Know

  • A bill moving through the legislature would give the State Auditor more power to go after wasteful spending within state government

  • It would create the Office of Government Efficiency and be overseen by the Office of the Deputy Auditor

  • Senate Bill 257 could be passed by the State Senate as early as Tuesday, March 4

  • A measure on the same subject in the House has not been assigned to a committee

Republican State Auditor Allison Ball said she is in full support of a bill expanding her staff’s ability to find what she considers to be wasteful or unnecessary spending within government. She said it’s an effort to ensure the state is running as efficiently as possible. 

“This is a continuing effort of fiscal responsibility,” Ball said. “It’s been sort of left to the wayside for the last few administrations, and that’s really a matter of resources. There hasn’t been the staffing; there hasn’t been the funding available to do that kind of work.”

The bill is sponsored by State Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield, and has the backing of several fellow Republicans.

If passed, it would create the Office of Government Efficiency, which will, according to the bill language, “be responsible for evaluating and recommending improvements to the efficiency, cost-effectiveness and performance of state government agencies, programs and operations.”

It would be tasked with completing state agency performance audits. Once complete, findings would be presented to the governor and state legislature.

“We say what needs to be fixed,” Ball said. “We can continue to monitor things and say, 'Have you fixed it?' But at the end of the day, it would be up to, for example, the governor or whoever it is being investigated to make changes.”

Movement on this measure comes as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency makes substantial cuts to federal programs and lays off workers, most recently within the National Weather Service.

Senate State and Local Government Chair Michael Nemes, R-Shepherdsville, said this bill comes after the Republican-led legislature has added billions to the state rainy day fund and lowered the income tax. Nemes emphasized their intention is not to slash the state workforce.

“This is a continuing effort of fiscal responsibility,” Tichenor told lawmakers Monday.  

Last month, House Democratic leaders were skeptical of a similar measure which would create a task force to identify areas of potential overspending. That resolution, sponsored by State Rep. TJ Roberts, R-Burlington, has yet to be assigned to a committee.

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