Michigan DOGE Task Force

A New Chapter in State Government Accountability and Transparency

By Patrice Johnson, Chair, Michigan Fair Elections Institute

December 22, 2025

On December 11, 2025, Michigan House Republicans announced the formation of the Michigan DOGE Task Force, a legislator-led initiative aimed at identifying inefficiencies, reducing waste, and promoting transparency within state government. Chaired by State Representative James DeSana (R-Carleton), the task force includes twelve additional Republican lawmakers and draws inspiration from both federal efficiency efforts and Ohio’s state-level DOGE caucus.

Government efficiency and election integrity share a common foundation: transparency, accountability, and adherence to the rule of law. As Michigan Fair Elections Institute monitors the new task force, we are particularly interested in how efficiency reforms will impact election administration and whether they will strengthen or weaken the oversight mechanisms that protect voting rights.

For organizations like Michigan Fair Elections Institute (MFEI) and its sister affiliate Pure Integrity Michigan Elections (PIME), which have long advocated for transparency, accountability, and adherence to legal standards in the state’s elections, the emergence of this task force raises important questions about the intersection of government accountability with election administration.

Task Force Composition and Structure

The Michigan DOGE Task Force consists of thirteen Republican House members, notably including chairs of five powerful committees:

• Rep. James DeSana (R-Carleton), Chair

• Rep. Ann Bollin (R-Brighton), Appropriations Committee Chair

• Rep. Jay DeBoyer (R-Clay Township), House Oversight Committee Chair

• Rep. Jaime Greene (R-Richmond), Communications and Technology Committee Chair

• Rep. Rachelle Smit (R-Martin), Election Integrity Committee Chair

• Rep. Bill Schuette (R-Midland), Rules Committee Chair

• Rep. Steve Carra (R-Three Rivers)

• Rep. Gina Johnsen (R-Portland)

• Rep. Joseph Pavlov (R-Smiths Creek)

• Rep. Bradley Slagh (R-Zeeland)

• Rep. Donni Steele (R-Bloomfield Hills)

• Rep. Jason Woolford (R-Howell)

• Rep. Jennifer Wortz (R-Quincy)

The task force established an official website at midoge.us and created a public reporting mechanism inviting Michigan citizens to report waste, fraud, and abuse directly via email at info@midoge.us. This citizen engagement component raises questions about verification processes and investigation protocols.

Notably, Bollin, Smit and DeBoyer are former clerks, so their involvement suggests potential scrutiny of election administration costs and operations. PIME volunteers recently provided oral testimonies and written statements in opposition to the Secretary of State’s 40 election rule changes, promulgated in Rule Sets 2025-13, -14 and -15. See PIME reports in MFEI library:

• Comprehensive Legal Analysis of Rule Set 2025-13 ST: Voter Registration Cancellation, Challenge, and Correction

• Comprehensive Legal Analysis of Rule Set 2025-14 ST: Use of Electronic Pollbook

• Comprehensive Legal Analysis of Rule Set 2025-15 ST: Election Challengers and Poll Watchers

 

Stated Goals and Key Context

The task force aims to “restore trust in public institutions by identifying inefficiencies, reducing waste, and promoting responsible, taxpayer-first governance.”

The task force announcement came one day after the House Appropriations Committee voted along party lines to discontinue approximately $645 million in funding for special projects and work programs—a move that provides important context for the task force’s formation as part of a broader Republican strategy to fundamentally restructure state spending.

Specific areas of focus include consolidating Michigan’s 18 state departments to 12, examining spending for potential Medicaid and Social Services efficiencies, redirecting K-12 administrative costs to classroom resources, analyzing state government’s real estate footprint, and addressing vacant budgeted positions.

Key Limitations

Michigan’s DOGE Task Force operates with important constraints:

1. Advisory Capacity Only: Recommendations must be passed by the full legislature and signed by the governor.

2. Divided Government: Democrats control both the State Senate and Governor’s office, requiring bipartisan support.

3. Legislative vs. Executive Authority: Cannot unilaterally implement changes without cooperation from department heads.

MFEI’s Perspective: Lessons from Recent Rulemaking

PIME’s recent work challenging Secretary of State Rule Sets 13, 14, and 15 demonstrates that true efficiency means optimizing operations while strengthening—not weakening—systems that ensure accountability, protect civil rights, and maintain public trust.

Michigan Fair Elections Institute supports efforts to eliminate waste and increase transparency, emphasizing legal compliance with federal and state law, meaningful oversight that protects against abuse of power, public access to government processes and information, due process in administrative actions, and evidence-based policymaking grounded in rigorous analysis.

A Call for Comprehensive Accountability

As the Michigan DOGE Task Force begins its work, MFEI calls for a comprehensive approach including:

1. Transparency Audits: Evaluating state agency compliance with FOIA requirements

2. Oversight System Reviews: Assessing whether existing mechanisms are functioning effectively

3. Conflict of Interest Analysis: Examining situations where officials may have conflicting interests

4. Administrative Procedure Act (APA) Compliance Review: Verifying proper procedures including public notice and comment periods

5. Federal Law Compliance: Confirming state operations comply with civil rights laws, APA, Help America Vote Act (HAVA), National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), and election-related requirements.

Conclusion

The Michigan DOGE Task Force represents a significant development in Michigan’s political landscape. While its ability to implement change depends on bipartisan cooperation, its work will likely influence budget discussions, departmental operations, and public debate about the proper size and scope of state government.

Michigan citizens have a stake in ensuring that government reforms strengthen the systems that protect our rights, ensure fair elections, and maintain accountability. MFEI will continue to monitor the task force’s work with particular attention to implications for election administration, public access to information, and compliance with state and federal election law.

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