Dem-NPL Chair Reacts To Governor’s So-Called “Red Tape Reduction Working Group”

After Governor Burgum announced a “Red Tape Reduction Working Group,” Democratic-NPL Party Chair Patrick Hart reacted skeptically saying, “Burgum has made a habit of creating initiatives that are all talk and no substance, and in at least one case literally left North Dakotans out in the cold. If the Governor is truly committed to meaningful reforms that modernize our state government — without gutting essential services — we’ll applaud it. However, until we see real positive innovation, we’ll take this announcement with a grain of salt.

There are ways this could be done well. For example, ITD could change their programing processes to help streamline the work of the numerous agencies that go through them. Why hasn’t that happened yet?

Agencies operate in individual silos, and don’t communicate or share best operational practices, but we can’t just look at administrative strategies for change, there are outdated laws and rules that create these bureaucratic nightmares. We have incredible state employees that are somewhat handcuffed with the century and administrative codes they oversee. Until the actual laws change, we’re not going to see a massive difference.

Burgum’s been trying to ‘reinvent’ government for the past five years, why is this just happening now?”