Gov. DeSantis establishes Florida version of DOGE, will cut positions, audit universities

Posted by author February 24, 2025 Jobs

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‘I’m excited about this effort to take some of what we’ve seen in Washington that they’re doing with Elon Musk and apply it to Florida,’ DeSantis said.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced a state-level initiative modeled after the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to reduce government spending and streamline operations.
The initiative aims to sunset 70 state boards and commissions, cut 900 positions, and require independent reviews and audits of universities.
The governor indicated that artificial intelligence would be used to assist in achieving the initiative’s objectives, particularly in auditing the state university system.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a Florida version of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), following the federal government’s steps to eliminate “waste, fraud and abuse” but on the state level.

The governor said over a one-year term the state will attempt to sunset 70 state boards and commissions, cut 900 positions, require universities to undergo independent reviews and audits and look into local government expenditures.

“I’m excited about this effort to take some of what we’ve seen in Washington that they’re doing with Elon Musk and apply it to Florida,” DeSantis said at a press conference in Tampa on Monday.

Musk and the Trump Administration’s DOGE have made drastic cuts to the federal government, firing thousands of probational and full-time employees from the Department of Education, Small Business Administration and the Energy Department, the Department of Defense, among others.

Florida already has a Government Efficiency Task Force approved by statewide voters in 2006 as part of a state constitutional amendment and “is required to meet every four years for the purpose of developing recommendations to improve governmental operations and reduce costs.”

DeSantis also used his time at the lectern to blast the Biden administration for its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and criticize the federal government’s spending practices, saying, “You see what they need to do in Washington to try to right the ship. If they just make America operate like Florida, we will be OK.”

The governor, who said the state will accomplish its goals with the help of artificial intelligence, said the audits would be the “DOGE-ing of the state university system.”

Moreover, DeSantis said the state would conduct a deep dive of university operations and spending, including debt and financial management practices. It will also include examining course catalogues and staff to “ensure that Florida students are receiving an education that will best equip them to gain meaningful employment after graduation.”

“Look, if you want to do some of this, go to Cal Berkeley, go to some of these other places,” DeSantis said. “We don’t really want to be doing some of this stuff in Florida.”

State Board of Administration Executive Director Chris Spencer and Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr., who is also in charge of the state’s college system, spoke in favor of the “DOGE-ing” of Florida.

But some federal agencies have publicly told their employees to ignore DOGE’s efforts. Recently, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management requested a list of federal employee accomplishments for their past week, which was touted by Musk on social media. “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation,” Musk said.

The Department of Defense, led by Secretary Pete Hegseth, a staunch Trump ally, issued opposing guidance to the request on a public forum rather than a staff-wide email or other form of communication, according to USA TODAY.

“When and if required, the Department will coordinate responses to the email you have received from OPM,” the agency said on social media site X, which Musk owns. “For now, please pause any responses to the OPM email.”

A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll shows a majority of Americans, or 58%, worry that Musk’s slashing of the federal government could harm services, like Social Security retirement payments and student aid.

Looking forward to 2026

DeSantis also took the time to comment on the governor’s race and criticized U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Naples, saying “he just hasn’t been a part of any of the victories that we’ve had here over the left, over these last years, he’s just not been a part of it.”As previously reported, Donalds was ‘pre-endorsed’ by President Trump on social media last week: “Byron Donalds would be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida and, should he decide to run, will have my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, BYRON, RUN!” Trump posted on Truth Social, the social media site he owns.

But he did mention his wife, Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis, as a name being thrown into the 2026 governor’s race, recalling a conversation she had with the late conservative political commentator Rush Limbaugh.

“He’s like, ‘The only person I would rather have is my governor than you is her,’ and he pointed to her. And I was like, that’s a pretty good endorsement,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis said the search for lieutenant governor and a new chief financial officer would wait until after the Florida legislative session, which starts next week.

Former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez is now interim president of Florida International University, and Jimmy Patronis, the current CFO, will resign effective March 31 to run for the Congressional District 1 seat vacated by former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Niceville.

“We want to focus on what’s really important. I also want to be able to watch how different people are able to perform over the next couple of weeks, some in the Legislature, some out of the Legislature,” DeSantis said.

Ana Goñi-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network – Florida, can be reached at agonilessan@gannett.com.