Kansas Senate Efficiency Panel Reviews 3,254 Public Submissions, Plans Transparency Reforms

The Kansas Senate Committee on Government Efficiency (COGE), chaired by Sen. Renee Erickson, has reviewed over 3,200 public submissions aimed at improving government efficiency, narrowing them down to 349 relevant entries for consideration. The submissions include a wide range of topics, from specific government efficiency ideas to general public frustrations, and even some unrelated items like recipes. The committee's focus is on identifying recurring themes and tangible ideas that can be addressed in upcoming legislative sessions, while passing along submissions outside their scope to appropriate agencies. During their meeting, the committee spent time evaluating the submissions to set an agenda focused on transparency, auditing, and other efficiency measures. Additionally, the committee faced criticism for delaying the release of public records related to these submissions, which some argue violated the Kansas Open Records Act, though officials cited the need to redact sensitive personal information before release. Despite the delay, the committee continues to work through the public input to develop actionable plans for state government improvements.