April 15, 2004

LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today acted to abolish 25 obsolete or non-functioning state boards, commissions, councils, and task forces. 
 
"Like many Michigan families, state government is doing some spring cleaning," Granholm said.  “Michigan’s taxpayers expect us to use every state resource effectively and efficiently.  Eliminating this clutter from the organization of state government allows us to better focus on providing the high-quality services that taxpayers expect."
 
Michigan law authorizes the Governor to abolish special commissions and other similar bodies by executive order, whenever in the judgment of the Governor, the governmental body has completed the work assigned to it, fulfilled the purposes for which it was created, or the need for the body no longer exists.
 
"Now that Michigan has a state quarter, we no longer need a commission to recommend a design,” Granholm explained.  “The 500th Anniversary of Christopher Columbus' journey to the Americas was celebrated in 1992.  Abolishing the commission celebrating that anniversary is long overdue.”
 
By issuing Executive Orders 2004-4 to 2004-29, Granholm terminated bodies within the executive branch of state government that have served their purposes, or ceased functioning, but technically remain in effect and legally continue to exist.  The action taken by Granholm today is similar to action taken by the Michigan Legislature in recent years repealing obsolete state laws.
 
Executive Orders 2004-4 to 2004-29 are part of the Granholm Administration's on-going effort to streamline state government and do more with less, particularly in challenging budget times. 
 
Since taking office in January 2003, actions taken by Governor Granholm to improve the efficiency of state government include:

• eliminating a principal department of state government, and   the executive positions within that department, reducing the  number of state departments from 20 when the Governor took  office to 19 currently;

• abolishing 16 state commissions;
                                                          
• terminating 7 state advisory committees;

• disbanding 5 task forces;

• dissolving 2 state advisory councils; and

• eliminating 1 advisory board.

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