A sweeping array of governmental reforms have been passed by the Senate ahead of the Feb. 14 floor cutoff deadline. The vast majority of the reform bills have either been passed by the Senate, are moving through the House or will be part of the supplemental budget package. Senator Jim Hargrove says those bills will save money now and in future budgets.

Sen. Hargrove: “It looks like we’re going to be able to account for maybe $40 to $50 million in this budget and maybe $250 plus in the next budget, because of good policy changes as opposed to just cutting back on services that people need.”

The reform agenda proposed by Hargrove and Senator Nick Harper was crafted with the goal of reshaping the way Washington funds and delivers services. The 28 bills cover a variety of areas, including streamlining environmental permitting processes, addressing Medicaid fraud and maintaining public safety and accountability at a lower cost.