Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced a State Department of Government Efficiency to reduce wasteful spending and align with federal efforts during her Condition of the State address on Jan. 14, 2024. The Iowa Doge will focus on cutting costs at state and local levels, building on previous savings of $217 million, as stated by Reynolds.
Emily Schmitt has been appointed to lead the Iowa Doge, which is part of a broader trend with similar initiatives in New Hampshire and Wisconsin. Reynolds emphasized that Iowa was already limiting wasteful spending before the Doge announcement, saying, “We were doing Doge before Doge was a thing.”