12 Red States Slash Services To Fund Tax Perks For The Wealthy

At least 26 states have launched “government efficiency” initiatives in recent months, typically through executive orders, legislation, or the creation of legislative committees, according to an April analysis by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), Katie Rose Quandt reported for Truthout.

So far, four states—Kentucky, Utah, Oklahoma, and Louisiana—have enacted so-called “REINS-style” laws, modeled after the federal Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act.

The EPI briefing describes how these state-level initiatives “use disingenuous calls to ‘root out inefficiency’ and ‘cut wasteful spending’ as a smokescreen,” with the ultimate goal of funding tax cuts for the wealthy.

“State lawmakers are using the DOGE brand to restructure government in favor of partisan interests,” said Nina Mast, EPI policy and economic analyst and a co-author of the briefing.

“They’re weaponizing ‘efficiency’ in order to limit agency authority and impose burdensome new requirements on agencies that serve the public.”

These state-level DOGE initiatives typically aim to wrest power from civil servants and state agencies.

So far, four states—Kentucky, Utah, Oklahoma, and Louisiana—have enacted so-called “REINS-style” laws, modeled after the federal Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act.

Originally designed by a Tea Party activist and introduced in every Congress since 2009, the REINS Act would give Congress the authority to block major regulations issued by federal agencies.

Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group, warns that the REINS Act threatens the government’s ability to protect public health, ensure worker safety, and enforce financial regulations.

“It will only benefit corporations that wish to game the system and evade safety standards, and it does nothing to improve protections for the American public,” the group said.