Republican state legislators and governors are racing to openly support or emulate some of the most notable moves made by President Donald Trump since taking office.
In recent weeks, elected Republican politicians have gathered in state legislatures throughout the nation to push measures that would support Trump’s plans for mass deportations, some of which are named after or expressly mention the president. Furthermore, at least eleven states’ governors and lawmakers have tried to establish their own versions of the Department of Government Efficiency, the external advisory body that Trump appointed tech billionaire Elon Musk to lead in order to identify ways to reduce federal spending.
The actions taken at the beginning of Trump’s second term, which are mostly concentrated in areas that are firmly red, highlight his political hold on the GOP base and the party’s elected officials’ desire to be perceived as being completely loyal to him.
I don’t think it’s out of the ordinary for state leaders to want to follow Trump’s lead, whether you want to refer to it as a mandate or just a resounding win. Republican operative Zack Roday, who has served in the political wing of a number of conservative governors, acknowledged as much. It makes complete logic that joining the national trend and adopting the label are more important than the feature.
The most recent instance was in Oklahoma, where Republican Governor Kevin Stitt signed an executive order on Monday establishing a Division of Government Efficiency (DOGE-OK) under the state’s information technology and human resources agency.
According to a Stitt press release, the agency’s goals would be to reduce unnecessary government expenditure, boost productivity, and make sure state governments are using taxpayer resources wisely.
With Musk obtaining access to the Treasury Department’s payment system and threatening to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, Trump’s DOGE has already completely upended the federal government in the last few weeks.
According to Stitt’s office, a chief DOGE advisor—an unpaid role that answers directly to the governor—will oversee the Oklahoma section. When asked by NBC News who was being considered for that role, a Stitt representative did not reply.
On the day she took office last month, Governor Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire also issued an executive order establishing a Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE).
The 15 members of Ayotte’s panel, who were chosen by her and legislative leaders, will be tasked with presenting her with recommendations to improve government efficiency, reduce wasteful expenditure, and identify the best methods to serve the people of New Hampshire. A previous governor, current and past state legislators, and a few prominent local businesspeople are currently on the commission.
Republican governors Kim Reynolds of Iowa and Jeff Landry of Louisiana have also indicated that they want to proceed with DOGE-style systems. While Landry signed an executive order in December to establish a Fiscal Responsibility Program with objectives akin to Trump’s DOGE, Reynolds has stated her intention to establish a DOGE task team in Iowa.
Furthermore, a number of Republican-led legislatures in states with Democratic governors, such as Wisconsin, Arizona, and North Carolina, have recently established DOGE-compliant state legislative committees. Republican lawmakers in Kansas, Missouri, Texas, and Idaho have also stated that they intend to propose legislation to establish such committees.
Republicans seek to back up Trump s immigration moves
Additionally, Republican state politicians have worked to support or strengthen Trump’s strict immigration policy.
Last week, new regulations requiring all families enrolling children in public schools to present confirmation of their U.S. citizenship were adopted by Ryan Walters, the state superintendent of Oklahoma and the head of the State Board of Education.
If the governor and the state legislature accept the new regulations, public school districts would have to keep track of children who are unable to confirm their legal status and notify state authorities of the numbers.
That might further local aspects of Trump’s mass deportation campaign and effectively assist establish a new state-run system to track undocumented individuals in the state.
You must have information about your children’s backgrounds. During an Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting last week, Walters stated, “We will ensure that President Trump and his administration are aware of this information.”
The step, according to critics, would most likely go against a 1982 Supreme Court decision that held that the government could not bar children of undocumented individuals from attending public schools.
The Republican governors of Florida and Tennessee, meanwhile, called special sessions last month with the express goal of addressing or cooperating with the Trump administration’s deportation campaign. The president was even named on several of the measures that passed previous sessions, such Florida’s Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy (TRUMP) Act.
Removing in-state college tuition for undocumented students, strengthening state and local cooperation with federal immigration authorities, establishing a state immigration enforcement officer position to specifically coordinate with the federal government, and fortifying the state’s deportation laws were among the first proposals for the special session in Florida.
At first, Governor Ron DeSantis convened a special legislative session to make sure state laws precisely matched the barrage of executive orders that Trump had enacted. (Lawmakers ended up calling their own after rebuking DeSantis’ special session). The final bill increased sentencing parameters for other offenses and mandated mandatory death sentences for unauthorized immigrants who commit crimes like child rape and murder.
However, given the current power battle with the GOP-led Legislature, DeSantis is expected to reject a large portion of what was passed.
As the incoming Trump Administration has urged states to get ready for policy implementation, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee summoned a special legislative session to discuss public safety measures pertaining to illegal immigration.
Last week, lawmakers in Tennessee enacted a number of legislation that implemented conservative policies on immigration and education. These bills included financial incentives for local police agencies that assist in enforcing federal immigration proceedings and the establishment of a central state office for immigration matters. Voting in favor of sanctuary measures by local officeholders was rendered illegal by another measure.
The numerous actions in conservative states around the country were criticized by organizations that support progressive state-level laws.
Mandara Meyers, chief programs officer of The States Project, a Democratic-aligned organization that has made significant investments to support the party’s state legislative prospects in recent years, said that right-wing state lawmakers are not only echoing Trump’s worst instincts and policies, but they are also promoting even more extreme policies that we know will increase costs, undermine our personal freedoms, and make our nation less safe.