DOGE Comes to the Empire State

While Elon Musk and his DOGE team are working to reform the mammoth federal bureaucracy, two New York State legislators are looking to do the same in the Empire State. Senator Mark Walczyk and Assemblyman Jeff Gallahan recently introduced a bill in the New York State Legislature to establish a Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE). Given the size of the state government (the governor proposed a $252 billion state budget for 2026) and New Yorkers’ longstanding dissatisfaction with state government (a recent Siena poll found that half of all New Yorkers feel the state is headed in the wrong direction), COGE seems like it might be worth a try.

The proposal from Walczyk and Gallahan seeks to make the process of identifying and reducing waste and fraud in Empire State government bipartisan and cooperative. Given that they are both Republican legislators serving in bodies dominated by Democrats, that seems like a wise approach. Their COGE would be made up of eight commissioners—two appointed by each party leader in both houses of the New York State Legislature. Each COGE commissioner would serve a two-year term. The commission would report annually to the state legislature with specific recommendations outlining waste and fraud in state government spending. COGE would also report on what changes in law or regulation would be needed to eliminate the fraud and abuse it uncovers.

Given the structure of COGE—half of the commissioners would be appointed by Democrats and half by Republicans—commissioners would have to come to bipartisan agreement as to what state budget items and programs should be eliminated. The state legislature and governor would be in a tough spot politically to reject these bipartisan recommendations to reduce the size of New York State’s government. It’s not crazy to think that this might be the path toward real, fundamental reform in New York State government.

Walczyk and Gallahan aren’t the only state leaders looking to bring the DOGE spirit to state government. Inspired by Elon Musk and his work to change Washington, state officials across the country are looking at establishing DOGE-like entities in their states. One member of Congress, Claudia Tenney, is even sponsoring a bill that would require states to establish DOGE commissions to reduce waste in state government. Under Tenney’s proposal, states that fail to set up DOGE commissions would see federal funding dry up.

Recent events would suggest that New York State government is desperately in need of major reform. At this moment, Governor Hochul is in the middle of a fight with the Trump Administration, local officials, and even the State of New Jersey over her wildly unpopular congestion pricing fee. The state comptroller recently warned local leaders of an impending fiscal crisis. On top of all this, Gov. Hochul and the state legislature have less than a month to agree on and approve a state budget. If the past provides any hints, they’re unlikely to meet the April 1 deadline.

Thousands of bills are introduced each year in the New York State Legislature. Most of these proposals, however well-intentioned, never even make it to the floor of the Assembly or Senate for a vote. State legislators, however, would be wise to give the COGE bill serious consideration. Its bipartisan approach to reforming state government—one that requires the parties to compromise and cooperate—might be exactly what restores New Yorkers’ faith in their state government.