Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced the state version of Elon Musk's Department of Governmental Efficiency, which he wants to audit universities and eliminate nearly one thousand positions at "obsolete" state boards and commissions.
Florida's DOGE task force will be formed solely to "prune" excess spending around the state and hold powerful institutions accountable, DeSantis said at a Tampa press conference on Monday. Hopefully, he added, it will use artificial intelligence to identify superfluous or noncompliant workers, agencies, and boards.
"We are creating a state DOGE task force that will implement a multi-pronged approach to eliminate bureaucratic bloat and modernize our state government," DeSantis said, revealing that the group will serve a one-year term and disband after the "completion of the mission."
It will take after President Donald Trump's federal DOGE, created last month to trim excess spending and positions he believes to be unnecessary. Headed up by billionaire and Trump confidant Elon Musk, CNBC estimates that the new department, founded last month, would cut around 300,000 federal workers. It would be the largest job cut in American history.
What's the Mission?
The task force's mission includes boosting a key point of the governor's agenda: revamping higher education. Florida universities would be subjected to an "independent review and audit" by the Florida DOGE, which would examine finances, operation effectiveness, and cooperation with eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
"This is the DOGE-ing of our state university system," DeSantis said. "This will include examining course programming and staff at the institutions...Some of the ideological study stuff we just wanna prune that and get that out."
The massive reformation of higher education is a huge staple of the DeSantis administration, particularly as he geared up for his failed presidential run in 2023. This included gutting the liberal arts New College of Florida in hopes of turning it into the "Hillsdale of the South"—referring to the stringently right-wing university in Michigan—and striking DEI programs in colleges and universities.
The Florida DOGE also plans to eliminate at least 70 state boards and commissions the governor claims to be obsolete or inefficient, noting that some members haven't had appointments for "many, many years." This would involve terminating around 900 positions, compounding the 747 roles he suggested the Legislature dissipate in his proposed budget last month.
This new time-limited task force will expand upon Florida's current Government Efficiency Task Force created in 2006 as part of a state constitutional amendment. This group meets every four years to recommend various government and budget cuts.
