Pennsylvania Lawmakers Skeptical Of Proposed Consolidations
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- As state budget hearings continued this past week, Wolf administration officials faced lawmakers who are skeptical of the governor's plan to consolidate several state agencies.
The House Appropriations Committee heard from the heads of the Department of Health and the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. Governor Wolf wants to combine those departments with Human Services and Aging to create one big Department of Health and Human Services. But Republican Seth Grove isn't convinced it will work.
"I haven't seen any streamlining of any government entity within those," Grove said. "You're just taking the departments, slapping them together, throwing on a new name."
Health Secretary Karen Murphy responded.
"The four secretaries are committed to working to develop a consolidation plan that is better for Pennsylvanians," Murphy said, "and we're not consolidating for the sake of consolidation."
Murphy says leadership and execution of the strategy will be the key to making it a success.
